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16-17 NEET
Introduction
Young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) are at greater risk of a range of negative outcomes, including poor health, depression or early parenthood. The indicator is included to encourage services to work together to support young people, particularly the most vulnerable, to engage in education, training and work.
The Government recognises that increasing the participation of young people in learning and employment not only makes a lasting difference to individual lives, but is also central to the Government's ambitions to improve social mobility and stimulate economic growth.
To support more young people to study and gain the skills and qualifications that lead to sustainable jobs and reduce the risk of young people becoming NEET, legislation was included in 2013 to raise the participation age as contained within the Education and Skills Act 2008. This required that from 2013 all young people remain in some form of education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17.
From September 2016 Department for Education (DfE) relaxed the requirement on authorities to track academic age 18 year olds. Local authorities (LAs) are now only required to track and submit information about young people up to the end of the academic year in which they have their 18th birthday ie academic age 16 and 17 year olds [1].
The Government recognises that increasing the participation of young people in learning and employment not only makes a lasting difference to individual lives, but is also central to the Government's ambitions to improve social mobility and stimulate economic growth.
To support more young people to study and gain the skills and qualifications that lead to sustainable jobs and reduce the risk of young people becoming NEET, legislation was included in 2013 to raise the participation age as contained within the Education and Skills Act 2008. This required that from 2013 all young people remain in some form of education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17.
From September 2016 Department for Education (DfE) relaxed the requirement on authorities to track academic age 18 year olds. Local authorities (LAs) are now only required to track and submit information about young people up to the end of the academic year in which they have their 18th birthday ie academic age 16 and 17 year olds [1].
NEET Overview and Trends
NEET ratesIn Figure 1 below Oldham's NEET rate demonstrates a concerning trend over the six-year period. From 2019 to 2022, Oldham saw a gradual improvement in NEET rates, decreasing from 3.6% to 3.2%. This period of progress was followed by a significant reversal starting in 2023, when rates jumped sharply to 4.5% - representing a 41% increase in a single year. This upward trajectory continued into 2024, with rates reaching 4.7%, the highest level in the observed time-frame. Throughout this entire period, Oldham's NEET rate has consistently exceeded the national average.
Source: Department for Education (DfE)Figure 1 also shows the gap between Oldham and national figures widened most dramatically between 2022 and 2024, growing from 0.6 percentage points to 1.5 percentage points. While both national and North West rates increased in 2023-2024, Oldham's rise has been more pronounced, suggesting particular local challenges that require targeted intervention strategies. The current rate of 4.7% represents a significant concern, especially when compared to both the national average of 3.2% and the regional average of 4.1%.
'Not Known' rates
Oldham's “Not Known” rate, in Figure 2 below, reveals significant fluctuations, reflecting changing patterns in local tracking and monitoring capabilities. In 2019, Oldham began with a rate of 2.1%, below both national and regional averages. This improved further in 2020, dropping to 1.2% - likely reflecting enhanced efforts to maintain contact with young people during the early pandemic.
Source: Department for Education (DfE)Figure 2 also shows a slight increase to 1.9% in 2021 kept Oldham's rate below the national average of 2.7%. However, the following two years saw a dramatic deterioration in tracking effectiveness, with the “Not Known” rate rising sharply to 3.7% in 2022 and peaking at 4.2% in 2023. During this period, Oldham's rate far exceeded both national and regional averages, suggesting significant local challenges in maintaining contact with young people.
The most recent data from 2024 shows a remarkable improvement, with the “Not Known” rate dropping dramatically to 1.3%, now below both the national rate of 2.2% and comparable to the regional rate of 1.4%. This substantial improvement suggests a significant enhancement in Oldham's tracking and monitoring systems, providing a more accurate picture of the local NEET situation and creating a stronger foundation for targeted interventions.
Combined NEET and Not Known rates (2019-2024)
The combined NEET and “Not Known” rate, in Figure 3 below, provides the most comprehensive picture of youth disengagement in Oldham. Starting at 5.8% in 2019, slightly above the national average but below the regional average, Oldham initially showed promising improvement. In 2020, the combined rate fell significantly to 4.4%, placing Oldham in a favourable position compared to both national and regional benchmarks. This positive trend was short-lived, as 2021 saw an increase to 5.1%, though remaining below comparative averages. The following two years marked a deterioration, with the combined rate surging to 6.9% in 2022 and reaching a critical peak of 8.7% in 2023. This represented a challenge.
Source: Department for Education (DfE)The most recent data for 2024 shows substantial improvement, with the combined rate decreasing to 6.0%. While this represents significant progress from the 2023 peak, Oldham's rate remains 0.6 percentage points above the national average of 5.4% and 0.4 percentage points above the regional average of 5.6%. This suggests that despite recent improvements, Oldham continues to face greater challenges than its regional and national counterparts in engaging young people, requiring further targeted intervention strategies.
Combined NEET and Not Known rates (2021-2024 only)
Focusing on the last four years, in Figure 4 below, reveals the dramatic volatility in Oldham's youth engagement during the post-pandemic period. In 2021, Oldham began in a relatively favourable position with a combined rate of 5.1%, below both national (5.5%) and regional (5.3%) averages. However, this positive standing rapidly deteriorated in 2022, with Oldham's rate increasing sharply to 6.9% while both national and regional rates declined. This divergence became even more pronounced in 2023, when Oldham's rate peaked at 8.7%, representing a 71% increase from the 2021 baseline. During this same period, national and regional rates remained relatively stable, creating a substantial gap that highlighted Oldham's particular challenges.
Source: Department for Education (DfE)The most recent data from 2024 shows a significant improvement, with Oldham's combined rate falling to 6.0%, representing a 31% reduction from the 2023 peak. This positive trend suggests that recent interventions and improved tracking systems are beginning to yield results. However, Oldham's rate remains 0.6 percentage points higher than the national average and 0.4 percentage points higher than the regional average, indicating that the recovery is still incomplete. The extreme fluctuations seen in this four-year period, not least of which is the recovery from Covid, point to Oldham's heightened sensitivity to external pressures and suggest that sustained, targeted support will continue to be essential.
NEET rates for Young People with SEND/SEN (2024 only)
Young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Oldham face significantly heightened vulnerability to becoming NEET compared to their peers. Figure 5 below shows that those with Education, Health and Care plans face the most severe challenges, with a NEET rate of 9.8% - more than three times higher than young people without identified SEN in Oldham. This rate exceeds both the national average of 8.5% and the regional average of 9.1%, highlighting particular difficulties in Oldham's support for young people with the most complex needs. Similarly, those receiving SEN support without an EHC plan show a NEET rate of 7.2%, compared to 6.4% nationally and 6.8% regionally. Even young people without identified SEN in Oldham have an elevated NEET rate of 3.1%, compared to 2.5% nationally.
Source: Department for Education (DfE)These consistent disparities across all categories suggest systemic challenges in Oldham's support for vulnerable learners throughout their educational journey and during key transition points. The data indicates that improving outcomes for young people with SEND must be a priority in Oldham's strategy to reduce overall NEET rates, requiring targeted approaches that address both educational provision during compulsory schooling and the development of appropriate post-16 pathways tailored to different levels of need.
NEET rates by Free School Meal Eligibility (2024 only)
Economic disadvantage remains a significant risk factor for young people becoming NEET across all geographical areas (See Figure 6 below).
Source: Department for Education (DfE)In Oldham, young people eligible for Free School Meals have a NEET rate of 5.8%, which is 2.2 percentage points higher than their non-eligible peers at 3.6%. While this disparity is concerning, it is less pronounced than the national gap of 3.1 percentage points (5.5% versus 2.4%). This smaller relative gap in Oldham does not represent better outcomes for disadvantaged young people, but rather reflects the higher NEET rates for non-disadvantaged young people in Oldham compared to national averages. The NEET rate for FSM-eligible young people in Oldham (5.8%) slightly exceeds both the national (5.5%) and regional (5.7%) averages, indicating additional challenges for this vulnerable group locally. More striking, however, is the NEET rate for non-FSM young people in Oldham (3.6%), which is significantly higher than the national average of 2.4%. This suggests that while economic disadvantage remains a critical risk factor, Oldham faces broader challenges affecting young people across the spectrum.
NEET rates by Ethnicity (2024 only)
In Figure 7 below, Ethnicity data reveals significant variations in NEET vulnerability across different groups in Oldham. Young people from White backgrounds show the highest NEET rate at 4.9%, followed by those from Mixed backgrounds at 4.3% and Black backgrounds at 4.1%. Young people from Asian backgrounds have the lowest rate at 3.2%, though this is still more than double the national average for this group (1.5%). When comparing Oldham to national figures, substantial disparities are evident across all ethnic categories. The gap is particularly pronounced for young people from Black backgrounds, where Oldham's rate of 4.1% is 2.3 percentage points higher than the national average of 1.8%, and for Asian young people, where Oldham's rate is 1.7 percentage points above the national figure.
Source: Department for Education (DfE)These patterns likely reflect the intersection of multiple factors, including historical economic opportunities, educational provision, and community support structures in Oldham. The consistently higher NEET rates across all ethnic groups in Oldham compared to national averages suggest that while culturally sensitive approaches are needed for specific communities, there are also broader structural issues affecting young people regardless of ethnic background. Addressing these disparities will require both targeted interventions for specific ethnic groups and comprehensive strategies to improve educational and employment pathways for all young people in Oldham.
Further Information & Resources
OHID's Child & Maternal Health Data Profile
Additional data and information relating to children and young people's health
NEET and participation LA scorecard
he Department for Education (DfE) publishes an estimate each year of the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). However, evidence shows that there are a range of factors that can affect the proportion NEET, and this scorecard aims to put the headline figure into context by presenting it alongside a range of other related information.
Statutory Guidance - Participation of young people: education, employment and training
Statutory guidance for local authorities on their duties relating to the participation of young people in education, employment or training.
Statistics: NEET and Participation
Young people’s participation in education, employment and training and those not in education, employment or training (NEET).
All Data Sourced: Department for Education, Participation in Education, Training and NEET Age 16-17 by Local Authority
Additional data and information relating to children and young people's health
NEET and participation LA scorecard
he Department for Education (DfE) publishes an estimate each year of the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). However, evidence shows that there are a range of factors that can affect the proportion NEET, and this scorecard aims to put the headline figure into context by presenting it alongside a range of other related information.
Statutory Guidance - Participation of young people: education, employment and training
Statutory guidance for local authorities on their duties relating to the participation of young people in education, employment or training.
Statistics: NEET and Participation
Young people’s participation in education, employment and training and those not in education, employment or training (NEET).
All Data Sourced: Department for Education, Participation in Education, Training and NEET Age 16-17 by Local Authority
References
[1] OHID Child & Maternal Health Profile, accessed September 2023