Education to employment: complicated transitions in a changing world

Abstract

The editorial presents a collection of papers which highlight the complex nature of supporting all young people as they move out of statutory education. They illuminate some of the real concerns and problems related to the NEETs phenomenon. By drawing together this body of research and interrogating it, it has been possible to peel back the label ‘NEET’, look beyond the rhetoric and highlight an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the limitations and applications of the label that can provide the basis for international exchange of research findings. Above all, taken together, the papers suggest that the experience of NEET is not homogeneous. This is something that needs to be understood and acknowledged to a far greater extent if policy is to result in actions that truly support young people’s transitions from education to employment.