(Un)Happy 21st Birthday NEET! A genealogical approach to understanding young people Not in Education, Employment or Training

Abstract

The term ‘NEET’ (Not in Education, Employment or Training) in the UK has become a contentious issue for policy makers, youth services, academia and government alike. In this article, Liam Wrigley offers a genealogical appraisal of how 'NEET' has impacted on young people’s services, governance and portrayal of youth in the 21 years the term has been used in policy rhetoric. In particular, he uses evidence from the ‘Bridging The Gap’ (1999) report, which provided a blueprint for 'NEET' interventions and services in the UK, in order to highlight a disjuncture between contemporary and previous modes of governing young people who fall outside the labour market, education and training.