#6751 WHY WE NEED TO ACHIEVE AN INTERNATIONALLY AGREED AGE DEFINITION OF THE ‘NEET’ GROUP

Abstract

Internationally, significant variation exists between the use and application of the term ‘NEET’ (not in education, employment or training) to define levels of economic and social exclusion among groups of young people. It depends on the situation, and/or the context in which the term is applied. The term draw attention to unacceptably high levels of youth unemployment and economic inactivity, as well as the scarring consequences this may have on young people’s lives. The use of the term ‘NEET’ has faced a number of international challenges, including the age cohort to which the term is applied. This varies from one organisation to another, and the specific target group assigned and the variability of meaning of the term ‘NEET ‘itself. This paper aims to provide a review of the shifting and changing age cohort included within the NEET category since its inception in the 1990s. The study utilises an Entity-Related Diagram to demonstrate the international variation that now exists. Recommendations are made in order to maximise the deployment of a standardised definition of NEET, in order to achieve some commonality of understanding about how we measure and define ‘NEEThood’, and crucially, in developing and applying policy responses to address their needs.