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Young people in Essex are finding more and more job and training opportunities
Really NEET figures
Issue 018
THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2015
N
EW figures show the number of young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) is at an all-time low in the county. The current percentage of young people who are NEET stands at 4.4%. This means that out of the 50,000 young people Essex County Council has responsibility for supporting, only 2,146 are NEET. Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Councillor Kevin Bentley said: “Essex is a county of opportunity and it is crucial that our young people know what opportunities are available. “Whether this be through employment, continuing in education or gaining training and real life work experience through programmes such as apprenticeships, the options are endless.
“These figures are a real cause for celebration and mean more of our young people are in jobs or are learning skills to help them onto the career ladder.’’ “However, we are not complacent and aim to drive this figure down even further.” Essex County Council has a team of dedicated Employability and Skills Advisers who work with 16-19 year olds to support them. The team has a responsibility to maintain contact and ensure relevant opportunities are available for all young people, with the main aim being to encourage and help them into education, employment and training. This has become more important as young people in year 11 and above are now required to remain in learning i.e. school, college, apprenticeships,
Dr.Winifred van Rensburg
volunteering or a job with training, until their 18th birthday. In the last year the team has worked to place young people into opportunities in and around Essex that will develop their skills and where they are not currently employed help them to secure a job or training. Cabinet member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Ray Gooding said: “It is extremely promising to see that the number of young people not in education, employment or training in Essex is the lowest it has been for a second year running. If you are unemployed and between the ages of 16-19 and want to find out more about the opportunities available contact the Employability and Skills Intervention Team on 0800 707 6384 or email participation.trackingteam@essex.gov.uk