Ralston, K., Everington, D., Feng, Z. & Dibben, C. (2015) Journal of Youth Studies Conference, Copenhagen 30 March - 1 April 2015 [SLS]

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Abstract:

Background: Young people not in education employment or training (NEET) are the subject of policy concern in several countries. The NEET classification is open to criticism as many NEETs transition into employment. This analysis follows young people 16-19 years old in 1991 over a 20 year follow up period to understand how NEET status relates to health, education and occupational outcomes.

Data: We use the Scottish Longitudinal Study which provides a 5.3% sample of Scotland and is based around the Censuses of 1991, 2001 and 2011. Routinely collected administrative health data and education data are also linked to the SLS for these analyses. This allows us to test whether NEET status is associated with worse health outcomes, lower educational attainment and occupational position.

Methods: We apply descriptive and modelling approaches, including logistic regression. We use economic, educational and health outcomes. We control for confounders such as sex, limiting long term illness, prior economic activity, prior educational attainment and geographical deprivation. We use NSSEC and CAMSIS to measure occupational position.

Findings: 18% of those NEET in 1991 are not economically active at both the 2001 or 2011 Census. We find the NEET categorization to be a strong marker of subsequent negative outcomes, such as a higher odds of admission to hospital following self-harm OR, 5.8 (CI 3.6-9.6) and higher odds of having no qualifications, OR 5.9 (CI 4.8-7.4). Of those NEET who do transition to work there is strong evidence of a scarring effect.

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Output from project: 2013_005