Neet young people to lose out under data sharing changes, warns LGA
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Support for young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) will be hampered by a change in the way university admissions data is shared with councils, claims the Local Government Association.
The University and Colleges Admissions Service’s (Ucas) is to stop sharing information about young people accepted to university directly with councils.
Instead the information, which is used by councils to help target their local Neet population for employment and training support, will be sent direct to schools and colleges.
The move follows a review of the way Ucas manages its data and will make it easier for schools to access information about young people's intended post-education destinations that will be crucial to improving their careers guidance services.
But the LGA has criticised the move saying it will make it more difficult for councils to shape their local Neet support.
Councillor Peter Box, chairman of the LGA’s economy and transport board, said: “This information from Ucas has played a vital part in council efforts to identify those young people not going to university and in need of help to get into training, apprenticeships and job opportunities. Without it we risk some of our young people falling through the cracks and missing out on crucial support.”
As a result of the change, the LGA estimates councils will have to spend £3.8m in extra research such as gathering data from schools, phoning and texting young people, knocking on doors and using social media.
A spokesman for Ucas said: “It is not the case that we are refusing to share data that is needed to support Neet services. Instead we have decided that it is right to supply that data straight to schools.
“Local authorities can still get the information from them and it will be better information as well, as schools can include a far greater level of detail about young people.
“Schools are best placed to provide vital context around this information, such as whether the young people are resitting their exams.”
He added that less than 10 per cent of local authorities have used the data in recent years.
Latest government figures show that around 800,000 18- to 24-year-olds are Neet.
