One in five 16-year-olds have 'no education or training'
Almost one in five 16 and 17-year-olds are so-called Neets
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Saturday, 19, Jul 2008 04:55
A new study has revealed that almost one in five 16- and 17-year-olds are unemployed and have neither education nor training.
Some 18 per cent of the age group in England are Neets - neither in employment, education or training - according to research carried out by the London School of Economics (LSE).
The government claims the figure is around seven per cent but, according to the Today programme, the official figures account for any work or training completed by the young person in the last month, regardless of its length.
But children's minister Beverley Hughes responded to the study by saying the raising of the school-leaving age to 18 would counter the high proportion of Neets in England.
"However you want to measure it, the real issue is that we are making preparations now for every young person of 16 to 17 to be in education or training, through raising the participation age and through improving the quality the variety and the flexibility of education and training provision through diplomas and apprenticeships that will be available to them," she explained.
Richard Wainer, education and skills adviser to the CBI, said that the issue could be related to a failure to capitalise on the potential of Britain's youth.
"If these young people don't have the skills and abilities that their potential employers are going to need, then they are not going to get jobs and that's going to lead to real social and economic problems," he added.
And Julia Neal of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers concurred, saying the national curriculum was "too narrowly focused" on targets and did not give young people the skills they require.