UK report finds work experience can cut youth NEET risk by 80%

A report commissioned by the education charity Education and Employers shows that young people who gain high‑quality work experience before age 16 have an 80% lower chance of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training). The analysis, which draws on surveys of 19‑ to 26‑year‑olds, teachers, small employers and 47 OECD studies, highlights stark inequalities: 81% of placements are arranged by the young person or their family, and 78% of teachers say family connections are the main reason some students benefit more than others.

Only 58% of Key Stage 4 pupils currently complete any work experience, and the vast majority of schools face logistical barriers – 94% of teachers say job‑shadowing is difficult or very difficult to organise and 81% say workplace visits are hard to arrange. Employers are willing to engage but cite bureaucracy, limited capacity and competing demands. The government’s guarantee of ten days (or two weeks) of work experience for all under‑16s therefore risks becoming a tick‑box exercise unless substantial infrastructure and support are provided. The report warns that failure to address these issues could widen existing inequalities and notes that each NEET costs the public purse roughly £54,000 over a lifetime.