Key Concepts
A-B
The degree to which individuals can reach and participate in formal education. Access to education is crucial for reducing the risk of becoming NEET by providing youth with necessary skills and qualifications.
Government policies aimed at improving the functioning of the labor market and increasing employment opportunities. They focus on providing job search assistance, training programs, employment subsidies, and measures to facilitate the transition from school to work.
It was developed by psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner and originated in the field of child development. It emphasises how personal development is influenced by different systems, from the immediate family to wider societal influences. The development and well-being of the individual reflects the influence and interaction of many environmental systems, starting from the family, which is the innermost circle around the individual. The Bioecological Model suggests that the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, the closest social environment and conditions, and the macrosystem, which includes the period, time (chronosystem) and the economic, cultural and social conditions of the society in a more distant plan, affect each other. In this context, it provides an analytical framework that enables us to consider the entire relationality in each of the areas of well-being of NEET youth, from family to social and historical conditions, i.e. from the narrowest circle to the widest circle, making it possible to identify the objective and subjective determinants in each area.
C-D
Policies designed to provide support for individuals who need assistance with personal care due to age, disability, or other reasons. These policies can also include support for care providers, balancing work and family responsibilities, and ensuring access to quality care services. Caring responsibilites may affect NEET youth’s life chances and may act as a determinant of gender based inequalities.
Developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, the Capabilities Approach is a normative framework that proposes the assessment of individual well-being in terms of a person’s capability to achieve valuable functionings (i.e., various things a person may value doing or being). It shifts the focus from traditional measures of well-being, like income or utility, to what individuals can actually do or be, their “capabilities”. The approach emphasizes freedom, choice, and the potential for personal development. When applied to NEET youth, the Capabilities Approach suggests evaluating their well-being not just in terms of employment status or educational attainment, but by considering the range of opportunities available to them and their freedom to pursue paths they value. This perspective highlights the importance of empowering NEET youth with the necessary skills, resources, and support to achieve their desired outcomes, be it in education, employment, or other areas of life. It underscores the need for policies and programs that expand the capabilities and choices of NEET youth, enabling them to participate fully in society and lead fulfilling lives. This approach advocates for interventions that go beyond mere job placement or educational enrollment, focusing instead on holistic development and the removal of barriers that prevent NEET youth from realizing their potential.
The availability and equality of opportunities to access digital technologies, including the internet, digital devices, and digital content. It involves not just the physical availability of technology but also the skills required to effectively use it. For NEET youth, having digital access is essential for overcoming barriers to education and employment, as well as for participating in the digital economy and society at large. Lack of digital access can further marginalize these youths, hence why initiatives aimed at improving digital literacy and access are critical. Digitalization represents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is in acquiring the necessary digital skills to participate in an increasingly digital world. The opportunity lies in the vast resources and possibilities that digitalization opens up for education, training, entrepreneurship, and employment.
E-G
The economic position of individuals or groups, typically measured by income, wealth, employment status, and access to resources. NEET youth often face challenges related to their economic status, impacting their opportunities and life outcomes.
The process through which individuals or groups gain the ability to make choices and transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes as well as steering their lives. Empowerment is crucial for NEET youth to take control of their life trajectories.
The state of being (un)equal in terms of rights, status, and opportunities. Inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources and opportunities across different segments of society. Expressing the intersectional inequalities experienced by NEET youth through capabilities enables us to understand the details of the situation and identify areas of intervention.
The roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. Gender plays a significant role in the NEET phenomenon, inequalities often being observed between young men and women, influenced by gender norms, discrimination, and access to gender-sensitive support services.
The social, cultural, economic, and psychological differences observed between generations. Understanding these differences is important in addressing the specific needs of NEET youth and the development of effective policies based on this.
H-M
It is used for young people who are excluded from education and labour markets and spend most of their time at home. This term may overlap with, but does not necessarily carry the same meaning as, young people who fit into the NEET category. The concept of “house youngster” refers to the limited participation of a certain segment of the youth population in Türkiye in social and economic life and can be used to analyse the relationship between this situation and social, cultural and economic factors.
It is an approach based on the idea that inequality systems such as gender, class, race, ethnic identity, disability and migration intersect and create unique dynamics and consequences on individuals’ life experiences. Considering intersectional factors helps to identify the most vulnerable groups and inequalities within the scope of well-being areas and to develop multidimensional policy interventions. Intersectionalities are an important concept to reveal the heterogeneity of NEET youth and the complex nature of the determinant processes.
The supply and demand for labor, where employment transactions occur. It is a key area of focus for understanding and addressing the issues facing NEET youth.
The set of laws and regulations that govern the labor market, including wages, working conditions, and workers’ rights. These policies can significantly impact the employment prospects of NEET youth.
The continuous, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. This concept is important for NEET youth to remain competitive and adaptable in the labor market.
The capability to move freely and easily, often related to social or geographic movement. For NEET youth, mobility can refer to the ability to transition into the workforce or access educational and training opportunities and it may refer to limitations in opportunities provided to youth as well as structures of domination restricting the young person’s ability to move and to make choices freely.
NEET
An acronym for “Not in Education, Employment, or Training,” characterizing young people, who are disengaged from both the workforce and education. High rates of NEET youth represent a significant contemporary social concern as their disengagement implies lost potential for both economic development and personal growth. Understanding and addressing the multifaceted barriers faced by NEET individuals is essential for their integration into society and wellbeing. The categories defining NEET youth are characterised by different definitions and typologies for various countries. While the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) defines NEET youth as NEET youth aged 15-29, in our project we focus on NEET youth aged 15-24.
P-S
The act of taking part in an activity and/or decision-making processes. This concept encompasses a broad spectrum of involvement ranging from passive presence to active engagement in decision-making processes as well as political engagements and civil society participation. For NEET youth, although participation is taken to mean being actively involved in activities that lead to employment, education, or training opportunities; it is not limited to this. It implies not just the availability of such opportunities but also the accessibility and the capability of these young people to engage with these pathways.
It is a situation where a person does not have sufficient material income, assets or means of consumption to meet his or her basic needs. This situation usually indicates a lack of basic human goods such as food, clothing, shelter, health and access to education and health services. In this situation where the threshold or minimum requirements in terms of resources and opportunities that determine the well-being of individuals are not met, individuals who are deprived of choices and opportunities may experience difficulties in participating in social life. Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of being NEET. It can limit access to education and employment opportunities and is often perpetuated when young people remain outside the labor market and educational institutions.
A process in which individuals or groups are systematically marginalized, denying them full participation in the economic, social, and political life of society in which they live. NEET youth may experience social exclusion, which can exacerbate their disconnection from employment and education opportunities, and contribute to a cycle of poverty and marginalization.
Arrangements to ensure basic living conditions and welfare by reducing inequalities in areas such as education, health, housing, unemployment, poverty and gender discrimination. Effective social policies are crucial in establishing supportive frameworks by addressing issues such as access to education, unemployment benefits and social services that can support NEET youth.
It refers to the capacity to sustain certain processes or situations and is a popular concept often associated with environmental protection, economic sustainability and social equity. Sustainability in relation to NEET youth involves creating long-term, stable opportunities for education and employment, ensuring that interventions are not just immediate fixes but offer lasting solutions to NEET challenges.
T-U
Employment situations where the contract of work is limited to a certain period and there is no job security based on the needs of the employing organization. While temporary jobs can offer NEET youth an opportunity to gain work experience and income, they can also perpetuate instability and hinder long-term career development, potentially leading to recurrent NEET states.
The state of being without a job despite the willingness and capability to work. For NEET youth, unemployment is a core issue, often compounded by a lack of experience or education.
All non-remunerated work, such as domestic chores and caregiving, that is crucial for the functioning of households and societies but is often not recognized in economic measures. Unpaid labour can also be an important hidden factor influencing the formation and persistence of NEET status, especially for young women with significant housework or care responsibilities that prevent them from participating in the labour force or education.
The distinction between urban and rural areas, often associated with differences in lifestyle, access to services, and economic opportunities. The rural-urban divide is an important context that may influence the experiences of NEET youth in different geographic locations.
V-W-Y
Training that aims to provide specialisations at various levels and in different fields with the aim of enhancing the employability of individuals. Vocational training can serve as a vital intervention for NEET youth by enabling them to acquire specific skills and thus offers a bridge to overcome the education and employment gaps.
Susceptibility to harm, often as a result of exposure to risks or challenges and a lack of adequate protective measures or resilience. NEET youth may exhibit vulnerability due to their exposure to socio-economic risks, including limited access to quality education, inadequate social support structures, and labor market barriers. This heightened vulnerability can lead to sustained periods out of education or work, reinforcing their NEET status.
Well-being is an approach developed with the contributions of many disciplines, especially psychology, which depicts the situation of individuals with a holistic perspective, accompanied by both subjective and objective indicators. As an analytical and methodological framework, it provides a holistic evaluation opportunity by identifying the existing situation in different areas with indicators. It is an approach that emphasises subjective experiences by defining new areas such as subjective well-being and participation. All areas of well-being shaped by the social conditions, social networks and resources surrounding individuals – material status, health, education/work, risk and safety, home and environment, participation – are interrelated. Relationships and subjective well-being questions are also addressed in all domains. Well-being is related to the individual’s capacity to realise his/her inner potential and to lead a good life of his/her own choosing.
A policy framework adopted by the European Union, to ensure that all young people under a certain age (usually 25) receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship, or traineeship within a certain period (typically four months) of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. This initiative aims to reduce youth unemployment and increase the employability of young people. In relation to NEET youth, the Youth Guarantee is a crucial strategy to prevent and reduce the number of young people in NEET status. It provides a safety net by guaranteeing opportunities for engagement in productive activities shortly after young people become unemployed or complete education. This policy is particularly important for addressing the challenges faced by NEET youth, as it ensures that they have access to opportunities for professional and personal development, helping to integrate them into the labor market and reduce the risk of social exclusion.