PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Employment: Young People (8 September 2014)

The Government has made good progress in increasing the proportion of 16-year-olds who are participating in education and training (which includes those combining employment with training). The latest figures,[1] published on 25 June 2014, show that 93.8% of 16-year-olds were participating in education or work-based learning at the end of 2013, which is the highest figure since consistent records began in 1994. This represents an increase of 2.8 percentage points on the previous year, the largest increase observed over this period.

The Government will continue to encourage further improvements in participation and plans to spend £7.2 billion in 2014-15 to fund an education and training place for every 16- and 17-year-old who wants one. However, there will always be a small proportion of young people who are not in education, employment and training (NEET) due to personal circumstances such as illness.

[1] Participation in education, training and employment, age 16 to 18 statistical first release www.gov.uk/government/statistics/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-age-16-to-18