A NEW strategy aiming to increase the number of young people in education, employment or training has been endorsed by Devon County Council (DCC).

Councillors backed the “Brighter Futures – Employment, Education and Training Strategy” which not only sets out a long-term vision to tackle the levels of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) but also looks to address the root causes of disengagement of young people aged 16-25.

Cabinet also recognised the ambition of the strategy for care leavers and requested a progress report and delivery plan be brought to the Cabinet meeting in October.

Councillor Julian Brazil, County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Services – Education, said: ‘We need to be ambitious but realistic as well.

‘The number of care leavers that are NEET is unacceptable and we need to bring those numbers down. Not being in education, employment or training between the ages of 16 and 25 can result in a lifetime of reduced opportunity.

‘Working with partners is central to what we want to deliver and with the support of those partners we need to move at pace and have a laser-focus on care leavers.

‘We want to ensure better prospects for all young people in Devon, but with a particular focus on those facing vulnerabilities, in order to lay the foundations for a more inclusive and resilient local economy’.

The strategy, covering from 2025-2030, recognises persistent barriers to participation in education, employment and training for specific groups of young people.

This includes those who are care-experienced, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), young carers and children with a social worker, those involved in the youth justice system, young people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those living in rural or economically disadvantaged areas.

While Devon’s NEET rate stood at 4% last year, which is lower than both the national average (5.4%) and regional average (4.5%), the report before Cabinet highlighted that the figure doesn’t reflect deeper inequalities.

It stated that: “vulnerable young people, including those who are care-experienced, have SEND, are involved in the youth justice system, or live in rural or coastal communities, are consistently more likely to disengage from education or employment.

Nearly half (48%) of Devon’s care leavers aged 19–21 were NEET in 2024, while young people with SEND were over four times more likely to be NEET than their peers.

The strategy also takes into account challenges in Devon such as rural isolation, limited public transport, seasonal employment patterns, and lack of affordable housing, which all contribute towards disadvantage.