Nearly one in eight 16- to 24-year-olds in Britain is not in education, employment or training – a youth engagement crisis that, unless urgent action is taken, could see one in six young people become Neet within five years, according to a landmark report by former health secretary Alan Milburn. The Netherlands, by contrast, has one of the lowest Neet rates in the world, at 4.9% among 18- to 24-year-olds, compared with 15.1% in the UK. So what is the Dutch secret?
"No dead ends" is the philosophy that underpins Dutch education and youth employment policy – every stage of a young person's journey is designed to lead somewhere. Under Dutch law, children between five and 16 must attend school, then they must stay in education or training until they either secure a qualification or turn 18. One of the Netherlands' key tools for cutting school dropout rates is the "kwalificatieplicht" (qualification requirement).
“UK has 15.1% of 18-24 year olds Neet; Netherlands 4.9% with its 'no dead ends' system.”
From around the age of 12, Dutch pupils are streamed into one of three secondary tracks, based on teacher recommendations and primary-school test results. The system is controversial, with critics warning that early streaming can disadvantage some children and be detrimental to a young person's self-esteem. Amelie, who was told at age 10 to choose the vocational VMBO track, says this took a toll on her confidence – the VMBO track is not the most academic route. But exploring secondary schools aged 12, she felt more optimistic: "We had a textiles class, there was a blacksmithing area."
Amelie went on to study fashion but struggled to secure an internship and left her course aged 17. She then spent six months working and travelling and felt like her academic path had gone off track. At this point, she says, if leaving education had been an option available to her – as it is in the UK – she may have taken it: "If I had the freedom to drop out of school, I don't know what would have happened." But without a qualification, that wasn't an option.
Across the UK, young people can leave school at 16, but after that the rules vary. In England, they must stay in education or training until 18, through full-time study, an apprenticeship or part-time learning alongside work. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is no equivalent legal requirement, although schools and public agencies still encourage young people to stay in education or training. Milburn identified the Dutch approach as one the UK could learn from – but whether it would transplant without the same cultural and legal framework remains an open question.