Effective interventions for NEETs: a systematic review

Youth unemployment is associated with far-reaching economic and societal costs. Interventions that mitigate these effects thus merit serious analysis. This literature review, based on a multi-disciplinary search of scientific databases, aims to establish the state of the research on programmes for youth that are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) and to guide future research aimed at improving (employment) outcomes of programmes for NEETs. The systematic research, covering the years 2000 to 2019, identified nine studies with a total of 311 young, unemployed adults, accentuating the scarcity of research on effective intervention for vulnerable youth. The nine studies reflect the heterogeneity of the NEET population and their different barriers to employment. They focused more on intermediate than on final outcomes, and the outcomes on intermediate outcomes were more consistent across studies. Effective ingredients include social support, providing structure, and autonomy. At the moment, there is no convincing evidence identified for the effectiveness of a specific intervention for NEETs. More research is needed to determine what type of interventions are effective and for whom. These studies should follow reporting standards and address issues of high dropout and attrition.