New inquiry by Enterprise and Learning Committee

7 May 2010

An inquiry is being set up to find out how the Welsh Government is helping young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The National Assembly for Wales’s Enterprise and Learning Committee will look at the effectiveness of strategies in place to ensure people aged 16–24 are either in learning, in jobs or are acquiring the necessary skills to forge a career.

The most up-to-date definitive figures show that more than 56,000 young people were classed as NEETs during 2007. That’s more than one in ten 16–18 year olds and more than one in 15 aged between 19 and 24.

Chair of the Enterprise and Learning Committee, Gareth Jones AM, said: “It is essential that young people get all the help they need to start out in a particular trade or career path.

“If they don’t get that support they risk falling into a demoralising cycle which can be difficult to break.

“When conducting inquiries like this it is as important to get the experiences of those directly involved as it is from those producing the strategies.

“If anyone has found it difficult to get into employment, education or training we want to hear from them or their families.

“Those experiences and opinions could help shape the findings of this inquiry and ultimately contribute to providing a better service to give young people the head-start they need in life.”

Anyone wanting to submit evidence to the inquiry can email:

enterprise.learning.comm@wales.gsi.gov.uk

or write to the

Clerk of the Enterprise and Learning Committee

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay

Cardiff, CF99 1NA.

The closing date for written submissions is 10 June 2010.