Call for more support to prevent disadvantaged Londoners becoming Neet

The Employment Gap in London, a new report from London Councils and youth unemployment charity Impetus, states a quarter of 16- to 24-year-olds in the capital are leaving school with fewer than five GCSEs. 

Over the last decade, young disadvantaged Londoners have been more likely to be classed as Neet than anywhere else in the county, the report states, latest figures stand at 15 per cent compared with the national average of 14 per cent.

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The capital also has the lowest take up of apprenticeships of any region; just four per cent of young Londoners started apprenticeships in 2017 compared with the national average of seven per cent.

However, it has the highest rate of successful university applicants (21 per cent) from disadvantaged backgrounds compared with the rest of England (nine per cent).

Lewisham has the highest rate of Neet young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the figure standing at 28 per cent. The rate of Neet young people from non-disadvantaged backgrounds in the borough is just 17 per cent.

Hounslow, Lambeth, Newham and Westminster have the lowest rates of Neet young people from disadvantaged backgrounds at 17 per cent.

The research was released alongside Impetus’ Benchmarking Resurgo paper, which illustrates how effective and targeted support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds changes lives and improves employment prospects. 

The Resurgo Spear programme works with young people who are not in work or education to prepare them to seek, get and keep a job. 

“Funding and support for programmes that are able to demonstrate a clear impact, as Resurgo has done, must be made available if we are to end the decade of higher than average Neet rates in the capital,” the paper states.

Andy Ratcliffe, chief executive at Impetus said: “We need to do more for those young people who fall between the cracks.

“I’m so proud of the work we’ve been doing with Resurgo – not only to deliver a fantastic programme to get young Londoners on a path to work or training – but also to put their programme under the microscope to see whether they truly are having an impact. Our research shows too few young Londoners are moving out of unemployment into a job, our work with Resurgo shows a better future is possible.”   

Jo Rice, chief executive at Resurgo, added: “At Resurgo we consistently see that young people from all backgrounds have huge potential, and despite facing significant challenges, have much to offer the workplace. We’re proud that we can conclusively say our intervention works to change their lives for the better.”