A look behind the headlines reveals a different sort of outrage: NEETs die earlier than average, are 50 per cent more likely to be in poor health and 20 times more likely to commit crimes. This is where youth work comes in. Take the NYA-managed Neighbourhood Support Fund (NSF), for example.
For the past five years, the NSF has been using innovative youth work to help reach the hardest to reach young people aged 13 to 19 with education, employment or training. This has included over 4,000 of those vilified NEETs across up to 110 voluntary sector youth projects.
As the programme enters its final year, the results speak for themselves: 62 per cent of young people who have left projects have gone into education, employment or training; 87 per cent of participants claim increased self-confidence; 89 per cent increased their communication skills; and 74 per cent are more ready for employment thanks to their involvement with the project. Over 8,500 forms of accreditation have been awarded across the programme in recognition of young people's achievements.
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