Youth unemployment a “high priority”

Dr Stephen Farry welcomed the first meeting of the ‘NEET’ Advisory Group. NEET is an acronym for ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training,’ the unfortunate status which applies to almost 17 per cent of all young people in Limavady – a higher rate than anywhere else in Northern Ireland.

The NEET Advisory Group have been set up to push through a plan drawn up at Stormont to tackle youth unemployment.

Known as the ‘Pathways to Success’ Strategy, the aim is to prevent youth unemployment and to fund activities to enable all young people who are unemployed to access education and training, or prepare for work.

The Employment and Learning Minister welcomed the first meeting of ‘key decision makers from government departments’, alongside people from voluntary, community, education, health social care and the world of business.

Dr Farry said: “Reducing youth unemployment is a high priority for my Department and the Executive. I want to improve the opportunities for our young people to reach their full potential and to contribute positively to our communities and local economic growth. My Department will Chair the new NEET Advisory Group and lead the implementation of this Strategy to help unemployed young people and their families.”

The Minister continued: “The role of the Advisory Group is to ensure that activities are funded which identify and address the barriers that prevent young people from gaining the skills and qualifications they need to get into work as soon as possible.

“A number of new initiatives are underway; these include projects funded under the Collaboration and Innovation Fund which offers individual action plans and work placements; the Community Family Support Programme to help disadvantaged families; the Pathways Allowance paid to young people in training; and a Community Based Learner Access Programme to be introduced later this year that will enable young people to gain the essential skills of English and Maths.”