Impetus (with CVER/NIESR) · 2019
This report uses new Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data to examine NEET rates, access to higher education, and apprenticeship take-up for young people in the North West of England, broken down by local authority area. It finds that the North West's employment gap — the difference in NEET rates between disadvantaged young people and their better-off peers — is consistently around 2 percentage points higher than the national average, driven by higher NEET rates for disadvantaged and low-qualified young people. The analysis reveals stark within-region variation: for example, the NEET rate in Manchester is roughly twice that of Trafford. The "doubly disadvantaged" group — those from disadvantaged backgrounds with low qualifications — are found to be the main driver of the region's higher NEET rate and are most at risk of being locked out of education, employment and training.