EMPLOYMENT Minister Dr Stephen Farry has welcomed the inaugural meeting of the NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) Advisory Group that has been established to drive forward the implementation of the Executive’s Pathways to Success Strategy.
Pathways to Success is designed to help prevent youth unemployment and to fund activities to enable all unemployed young people to access education and training, or prepare for work.
The minister 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 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.”
To ensure the successful implementation of the strategy, the NEET Advisory Group brings together key decision makers from government departments, voluntary and community, education, health, social care and business sectors and local government.
The minister said: “The role of the Advisory Group is to ensure 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 under way, including 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.”