Video: Notts TV’s Hugh Casswell meets Notts ‘NEETs’
People classed as ‘NEET’ have been getting surprise house calls from careers advisers and Notts TV has been along to see how they’ve been getting on.
Futures Advice, Skills and Employment is working on Nottingham City Council’s pledge to make sure every 18 to 24-year-old is in a job, training or further education, by knocking on their doors.
NEET stands for “Not in Education, Employment, or Training” and reaching young people falling into this category is seen by local councils as key to turning around areas of deprivation and high unemployment.
According to the city council, there are 273 known young people in the city who are officially classed as NEET.
One of those is 21-year-old Charlie Smeeton, from Aspley, who left school in 2012 and has had a few temporary jobs but nothing permanent.
He said: “My last job was landscaping and I went round with a number of teams maintaining gardens.
“It’s seasonal work because of the weather and because of that I’ve been unemployed.
“It’s infuriating because you seem to just sit on your backside doing nothing and looking for jobs.”
Charlie’s dad also feels the frustration.
Geoff Smeeton said: “It’s difficult and sometimes motivation can be a problem because he can get into a rut and think ‘nobody wants to employ me.’
“My wife is disabled so we’re on disability benefits, I’m a pensioner and money is short.
“We need Charlie to start earning and to start paying his way.”
