Neet Young People and Training for Work : Learning on the Margins

Being not in education, employment or training (NEET) can have significant negative consequences for young people'¬"s future, such as long-term unemployment, isolation and other forms of social exclusion. Re-engaging them in training is a priority for policy-makers and practitioners as well as the young people themselves. This book examines the experiences of a group of young people in the post-industrial north of England attending Entry to Employment, a work-based learning program for those who have been NEET or risk becoming so in the future. It critically appraises the discourse on NEET young people and its social, economic and political context, and it challenges conventional stereotypes of '¬Üthe NEETs'¬" as dysfunctional and lacking aspiration. Drawing on a detailed ethnographic study of young people and the practitioners working with them, it explores the complexities and realities of learning on the margins A key resource for students and academics on higher education courses on youth work, the book provides valuable insights for teachers, youth workers, careers advisers and others working with young people who are concerned with social justice in education.