It’s time to end the NEET crisis and support young people into work.
Support the campaign – share the video and your stories using the hashtag.
We all need to do our bit to support young people’s futures: whether you’re a decision maker creating more support, an employer considering young people for jobs, or a member of the public.
#NotGeneration
Young people in their own words
Hear stories about how we’re making a difference.
“This is where I feel I come alive.”
Meet John. Passionate about the film industry, he sent over 100 applications but received zero feedback.
“I can see the change in my life.”
Introducing Raphael. Before we stepped in, he was a school leaver and unsure of his next steps.
“The future can come whenever it's ready.”
Say hello to Bhrea. She lost out on a hairdressing college course – but that’s not the end of the story.
Almost 1 million UK young people are ‘Not in Employment, Education, or Training’.
Labelled ‘NEETs’, we know them by the things they’re not: they’re not in work or looking for jobs. They’re not going to school, college or university. They’re not earning, making a living, or taking the first steps toward their future.
This generation of young people are being defined by the things they’re not doing. They’re at real risk of becoming the Not Generation.
This is not right, it’s not working, and it’s not good enough
This generation of young people are being defined by the things they’re not doing. They’re at real risk of becoming the Not Generation.
This is not right, it’s not working, and it’s not good enough
This generation of young people are being defined by the things they’re not doing. They’re at real risk of becoming the Not Generation.
This is not right, it’s not working, and it’s not good enough
Young people urgently need the right support. And at Shaw Trust, we’re asking what more we can do.
We have a better vision for their future – one which focuses on what they can do, and invests in their potential through specialist youth employment support. It’s not just Luke Littler and Ellie Goldstein who are pushing boundaries and breaking records.
It’s also those leaving care and looking for their first job. School leavers carving a different path through apprenticeships. Young people with special needs, who were told work would never work for them, but are determined to try. And others, just trying to figure out what comes next.
We know that with the right support at the right time, young people can – and do – find the right work. And that’s exactly what we’re doing – with tailored, personalised employment support for this generation, and every generation to come.
How we’re investing in change
We’re committed to changing things for the better for young people. Our Foundation has invested £2 million into a multi-year innovation trial that supports 18-24 year olds with getting job-ready through structured youth employment programmes. The trial draws on the expertise across Shaw Trust, from job coaching and resilience training to supported internships.
Lots of employment support exists across the UK, but these programmes are most successful when young people are ready for work. And we’re trialling new ways to help them do just that, and sharing the evidence with national and local commissioners.