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Four or more pupil-employer contacts key in NEET battle

Careers guidance Apprenticeships Higher education Further education NEETS Work experience
The evidence is clear: students are significantly less likely to become NEET (not in education, employment or training) if they experience four or more contacts with employers before they leave school.

However, the research has also revealed that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have the least contact with employers while at school.

The findings come from a survey of more than 1,700 19 to 24-year-olds, which reveals that contact with employers between the ages of 14 and 18 does result in a career boost in later life.

The study has been carried out by the charity Education and Employers and the Barclays LifeSkills programme.

Its headline finding was that if a student reported having four or more contacts with employers while at school, they were 86 per cent less likely to be NEET.

Contacts included things such as careers advice from employers, competing in enterprise competitions, being mentored and job-shadowing.

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