Engaging NEET Young People: An Employer Toolkit

Why Should Employers Engage NEETs?

Labour shortages: Many sectors (hospitality, retail, logistics, care, construction) face persistent vacancies that NEET young people can fill with the right support
Loyalty: Young people given their first opportunity often become the most committed employees
Government funding: Significant financial support is available for employers hiring NEETs
Fresh perspectives: Young people bring energy, digital skills, and new ideas
CSR and social value: Hiring NEETs demonstrates genuine community impact — increasingly important for public sector contracts (UK Social Value Act)

Short-term (1–4 weeks) unpaid or subsidised trial periods where the young person works alongside your team
Low risk for both parties — the employer evaluates fit, and the young person experiences the role
In the UK, Jobcentre Plus can arrange work trials with continued benefit payments

UK: Government-funded programmes (6 weeks to 12 months) combining work preparation, English/maths, and work placements
The employer provides the work placement; the training provider handles education
No wage cost to the employer during the traineeship
Incentive payments of up to £1,000 per traineeship are available

Combine on-the-job training with formal qualifications
Government covers most of the training cost (for small employers, often 95%+)
Additional support available for apprentices with learning difficulties or disabilities
Minimum wage applies, but apprentice rates are lower in the first year

You do not have to do this alone. Intermediary organisations specialise in preparing and supporting NEET young people:

Organisation	Country	What They Do
Prince's Trust	UK	Enterprise, employability, and team programmes
Career Ready	UK	Mentoring and paid internships for disadvantaged young people
Youth Futures Foundation	UK	Funds and evaluates youth employment programmes
Year Up	US	Training and corporate internships
YouthBuild	US	Construction training and education
DWP/Jobcentre Plus	UK	Referrals, work trials, and subsidy administration
Local authorities	UK/EU	Youth services and NEET tracking

NEET young people may lack basic workplace norms (timekeeping, communication, dress) — these are learnable, not fixed
Progress may be uneven — mental health challenges, housing instability, or family issues may cause setbacks
A buddy or mentor is essential, not optional
Small accommodations (clear instructions, regular feedback, patience) go a long way

Work may be harder and less exciting than expected — honest job previews reduce early dropout
Behaviour that is acceptable among friends may not be appropriate at work — explicit guidance helps
Career progression is possible but requires consistent effort

Track these metrics to evaluate your NEET engagement programme:

Retention at 3, 6, and 12 months: How many NEET hires are still with you?
Progression: Are NEET hires developing skills and moving into more responsible roles?
Manager feedback: Are managers satisfied with performance after the initial adjustment period?
Cost per hire: Compare total cost (including support) against standard recruitment costs
Social value: Quantify the social impact for reporting (useful for public sector tenders)

Prince's Trust: [princes-trust.org.uk](https://www.princes-trust.org.uk)
Career Ready: [careerready.org.uk](https://www.careerready.org.uk)
Youth Futures Foundation: [youthfuturesfoundation.org](https://www.youthfuturesfoundation.org)
Year Up (US): [yearup.org](https://www.yearup.org)
Eurofound Youth Guarantee Research: [eurofound.europa.eu](https://www.eurofound.europa.eu)
UK Government Traineeships: [gov.uk/traineeships](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/traineeships--2)