Young Lives Leeds NEET Research 2 A report reflecting the views, issues and aspirations of young people not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

Hello

Why did it happen? How it all started The Challenge

Who was involved?

Thanks to the funders

Developing the research

Method and Methodology Participants voice at the centre Qualitative research Focus Groups Thematic Analysis

Focus Groups Questions Consent Anonymity

Participants Sampling Over 70 participants 10 Focus Groups and Feedback event

Analysis Word for Word Transcriptions Thematic Analysis Quotes at the centre of the research

Leeds Data Dive & Data Kind

“Too many” Quotes! First Draft Todays Draft

Young Lives Leeds NEET Research 2015

What jobs are young people looking for? “Anything's better than nothing.” “Retail or warehouse.” “The type of work I’m looking for is the minimum wage.”

What jobs are young people looking for? “I think it’s hard labour me, because now the more you hear about it all over the radio and that, oh more apprenticeships, take on apprentices it’s only because like you say it’s cheaper and then as soon as your finished your apprenticeship, they’re going to send you on your way anyway.”

Process of looking for work “Well everyone wants qualifications nowadays don’t they, everywhere.” “You don’t have experience but you can’t get a job unless you have experience and you can’t get experience unless you have a job.”

Process of looking for work “They’re wanting you to do searches every single day. You can’t do that. That’s what I got advised from my advisor it’s unhealthy for you. I was getting toward the point of snapping. Just looking every day, one day I felt like lobbing my tablet out of the window (…)”

Not hearing back “Keep trying to get a job but no one gets back to me it’s very hard.” “I’ve applied for about 300 jobs on Universal job match and haven’t heard nothing back from any of them.”

Not hearing back “It puts me down. If they won’t give me a job, no one’s going to give me a job” “Yeah, I apply for jobs every morning, thinking, ‘Why?’ So I haven’t got a job yet, what's the point of living? I haven’t got a job yet.”

May % of all JSA sanctions in Leeds were to year olds who made up 24% of the JSA Claimants in Leeds. The GB figure for the same month was 51% of JSA sanctions were to 18-24, who made up 22% of the JSA Claimants in GB. Sanctions

“If you haven’t looked for enough jobs you get sanctioned and you don’t get any money for a month. How are you supposed to live for a month with no money?” “I’ve been sanctioned before for turning up for an appointment that they managed to get wrong because they put it on a date that wasn’t put in the system so I went in on the day I was supposed to and they go oh you’ve been sanctioned. So then I had to spend the next two or three weeks trying to get the money back.” Sanctions

“One young person knew you could appeal sanctions because her local Jobcentre, Park Lane, signposted her to a telephone advice line and sent her a letter with information on appealing when she was sanctioned for being late due to a late bus. She was able to successfully appeal, but has heard that other Jobcentres are not as helpful.” Feedback event, June 2015 Sanctions

“The sheet of information on sanctions is useful – a leaflet with the key points would be very useful. The group agrees that an adapted advice sheet on your rights and how to appeal sanctions would be very helpful. This should be given out at the Job Centre and by youth workers.” Feedback event June 2015 Sanctions

Health & Well-Being Young Lives Leeds NEET Research 2014 showed: 43% of young people were dealing with issues of stress or anxiety as a result of being NEET. Nearly one in three (30%) said being NEET was causing them depression.

“It’s probably one of the causes of why you start doubting yourself why aren’t I getting jobs, and what led to having a mental health breakdown.” “When you’re working you haven’t got time to think, but when you’ve got no job and you’re just sat there thinking and your mind starts overthinking about things, and then that makes you depressed.” Health & well-being

Can be upsetting but okay if confident – confidence classes just as useful as practical skills? Recreational activities would be good. Workshops in confidence, nerves control Employers should be given more training on supporting staff with mental health issues. A peer support group would be helpful especially in improving confidence in group situations. Feedback Event, June 2015 Health & well-being

What support was wanted? Young Lives Leeds NEET Research 2014 showed: 74% of young people, NEET for 12 months or more, said “given the right support, I could contribute a lot more to this country.” Research by the Princes’ Trust (Youth Index 2014) showed: 74% of young people, NEET for 12 months or more, said they “wouldn’t ask for help if they were struggling to cope.”

“Our teachers at school didn’t understand people with difficulties.” “Yeah, because like, as young people, you want to be supported and someone having an interest in you. Interest in me gives me a foundation or basis to go onto something else.” What support?

“I do think it’s important to like have a connection with someone you’re speaking to because you can’t talk about your proper problems with a stranger. It’s like walking up to a man who’s at the bus stop and trying to tell them like, I don’t know, your life’s a total mess and you just want support because you can’t do that. You need to know that you can trust them, you’ve got a connection that they’re there, the confidentiality, that’s my biggest thing.” What support?

Interview support “Yeah, like we’re sat here now with you and it’s alright because it’s casual, but when you’re sat at a desk there and there’s four people sat there staring at you, you don’t know what to do. And that’s one thing that school doesn’t teach you, they don’t train you.” “Interviewers in jobs should also be sympathetic and aware into how hard interviews can be for young people, particularly the long-term unemployed.”

“Someone there saying, ‘You’re doing well there,’ or, ‘Can you just do this a bit better,’ just to let you know, instead of being down your throat and giving you shit, that little bit of help.” “Maybe like a little bit of a mentor, somebody a bit higher up but not a manager that’s going to look down at you. Somebody that’s maybe been in your position themselves and they’ve worked their way up.” In work support

Questions?