Have a go at this teaching activity, which includes a downloadable worksheet and suggested answers

Nearly one million young people remain unemployed and not in education or training.

Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that approximately 946,000 young people aged 16-24 in the UK are currently classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

This represents roughly one in eight young people with recent trends suggesting that more young men are now classified as NEET compared to young women.

The NEET category encompasses those actively seeking work but unable to find a job (unemployed) and those not looking for employment (economically inactive). The majority, around 580,000, are in the economically inactive category, with rising long-term sickness among young people one of the contributing factors.

Declining job vacancies makes the task of finding a role increasingly challenging. Many lack qualifications or suffer with mental health issues.

Charities like the Spear Programme provide coaching in interview technique and communication skills to help young people find jobs. The government is proposing a Youth Guarantee scheme, to provide access to education, training, apprenticeships, or guaranteed paid work placements for those unable to find employment.

Young people who refuse to participate after 18 months on Universal Credit may face benefit cuts.