Fewer 16-18 Year Olds in Nottinghamshire Becoming Unemployed

Fewer 16-18 year olds in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are becoming unemployed or unknown to both councils than in similar parts of the country, according to the latest government data that tracks Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET) and Not Known levels.

Data recently released by the Department for Education (DfE) shows that Nottinghamshire is the best performing council in the East Midlands for supporting young people into education, employment and training with only 5.8% of 16-18 year olds classed as NEET or whose situation was not known. Nottingham City, which is in second place in the region and has 6.8% of its young people in this situation has the best performance out of any large city in England.

Councillor Philip Owen, chairman of Children and Young People’s committee, at Nottinghamshire County Council said:

“I am delighted with these figures that reveal Nottinghamshire has very few young people not gainfully employed or in education.

“This will undoubtedly benefit their lives and careers down the line and these young people will hopefully make a positive contribution to their local communities and society in general.

“Being in a job or at college means that you give yourself the chance to enjoy options later in life and you’re not facing the perpetual cycle of benefits.”

Both councils are supported in this mission by Futures, a social enterprise specialising in supporting people of all ages with their career progression.

John Yarham, Chief Executive of Futures commented:

“Whilst elements of our work differ in each local authority area and we are always conscious of improving outcomes in both, our work in both council areas is of equal pride to us.

Whilst we always want to do more, the data released by DfE shows a very positive picture of the situation for young people across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.”

Councillor Neghat Khan, Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills, Nottingham City Council stated:

“Nottingham City Council is committed to guaranteeing employment, training or a place in further education for every 18 to 24 year old in the city and whilst we know we must keep working hard to provide this, these figures show that we are making a real difference to the lives of young people in the city.

“We know that here in Nottingham, as in other core cities, many young people face personal challenges which can make it hard for them to move into suitable training or employment when they leave school and it’s really important that we recognise this.

“We are however, very proud of these results and our positive and effective relationships with Futures and the Department of Work and Pensions, and of course with schools and academies across the city, which are clearly having such a positive impact on young people during their transition from education to employment.”