AQW 48060/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 05/06/2026
Answered On Date: 16/06/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any assessment that has been made of the (i) Young people and work interim report; and (ii) Inside the mind of a young NEET, A story of resilience, untapped potential and a system with too many snakes and not enough ladders.

Answer:

My Department continually reviews research and reports, including those referenced, to inform and refine its programmes and initiatives to support young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

My Department recently partnered with the Department for Communities and the Department of Health on a successful joint bid to the NI Public Sector Transformation Fund for a Work and Wellbeing Transformation Project. This project, which will be overseen by the newly established Commission on Work and Wellbeing, aims to support more people with ill health and disabilities into employment, including those young people who are currently or at risk of becoming NEET.

This Commission is chaired by the Rt Hon Alan Milburn, who also led on the Young people and work interim report. My officials will continue to work with the Department for Communities and Department of Health on this vital workstream.

My Department also offers a range of focused programmes including Skills for Life and Work which acts as a key progression pathway into Traineeships, Further Education, ApprenticeshipsNI or employment. I recognise that for many young people, the issue is not one of ability, rather it is the barriers they face. The recent consultation on a Review of Approach to Widening Participation in Higher Education therefore recommended that NEET adjacent youth are included within the priority groups to help ensure that higher education is a viable option for our young people.