Coaching to Tackle Youth Unemployment and Support NEET Young People

The latest figures paint a concerning picture for young people in the UK. An estimated 13% of 16 to 24-year-olds are currently not in education, employment, or training (NEET). This represents nearly one million young people facing an uncertain start to their adult lives (L&W Institute, 2025). For schools, training providers and colleges, these statistics are a stark reminder of the challenges many young people face, highlighting the urgent need for effective support systems to prevent them from falling into this category.

This is more than just an economic issue; it is a wellbeing crisis. The path to becoming NEET is often complex, paved with psychological barriers, mental health struggles, social disadvantage, and a lack of specific skills. However, a powerful, preventative strategy is gaining traction: coaching. By building resilience and equipping young people with essential life skills, we can empower them to navigate challenges and build a positive future. This post explores the root causes of youth unemployment and how a coaching approach can offer a practical, effective solution for young people.

What Factors Contribute to Youth Unemployment?

No single path leads a young person to become NEET. It is often a combination of personal, social, and economic factors that create barriers to education and employment. Understanding these root causes is the first step towards developing effective interventions.

Key contributory factors include:

• Poor academic achievement or disengagement from school: Students who struggle academically or feel disconnected from their learning environment are at a higher risk of leaving education without a clear plan.
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Trauma, instability, or a challenging home life can significantly impact a young person's development, affecting their ability to engage with school and plan for the future.
• Poor mental health and unmet emotional needs: Mental health conditions can act as a significant barrier to education, training, and employment.
• Systemic inequalities: Socio-economic disadvantages and a lack of regional opportunities can limit a young person's prospects, regardless of their individual potential.
• Lack of individualised career advice: Without tailored guidance or positive role models, students may struggle to see a clear pathway into the world of work.

The Vicious Cycle of Mental Health and Youth Unemployment

The link between youth unemployment and mental health is undeniable and cyclical. Poor mental health can be a direct cause of a young person becoming NEET, while the experience of being unemployed can, in turn, create or worsen mental health problems.

Statistics reveal the depth of this issue. Mental health is an important factor in determining whether a young person is in work or education; 30% of young people in the UK who report mental health conditions as their main health condition are NEET (L&W Institute, 2025).

Young people with a reported mental health condition are significantly more likely to be NEET. The percentage of young people citing ill-health as the primary reason for being economically inactive has more than doubled over the past decade. Long-term disengagement from work or education often correlates with anxiety, depression, and lower life satisfaction.

This creates a vicious cycle. A young person struggling with anxiety may find it impossible to attend interviews or adapt to a new workplace. The resulting unemployment can then lead to feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and low self-worth, deepening their anxiety and making it even harder to re-engage. Breaking this cycle requires more than just job-seeking support; it demands interventions that address the underlying psychological barriers.

Psychological Barriers and Employability Skills

For many young people, the biggest hurdles are internal. Psychological barriers can be just as debilitating as a lack of qualifications or economic disadvantage. These often manifest as:

• Low self-esteem and confidence: A belief that they are not capable or worthy of success.
• Lack of resilience: An inability to cope with setbacks, criticism, or failure.
• Low motivation: A sense of apathy or uncertainty about the future.
• Negative self-talk: An internal monologue that reinforces feelings of inadequacy.

These psychological barriers are directly linked to a lack of key employability skills. Skills like problem-solving, communication, and adaptability are not just about performing a job; they are rooted in confidence and a positive mindset. A young person who lacks resilience will struggle to adapt to feedback in the workplace. Someone with low self-esteem may not have the confidence to communicate their ideas effectively in a team.

How Coaching Can Break the Cycle

This is where coaching emerges as a powerful and practical solution. Coaching is not about telling a young person what to do. Instead, it empowers them to find their own answers, build internal resources, and take control of their lives. It is a preventative and developmental approach that is perfectly suited to helping young people build the skills needed to thrive.

A trained coach provides a safe, non-judgemental space for a young person to explore their goals and challenges. Through active listening and powerful questioning, coaching helps to:

• Improve self-awareness: Helping young people understand their strengths, values, and thought patterns.
• Reduce psychological barriers: Coaching provides tools to challenge negative self-talk, build confidence, and reframe setbacks as learning opportunities.
• Enhance employability skills: By working on goal-setting, action planning, and problem-solving, coaching directly develops the core competencies employers look for.
• Increase resilience and wellbeing: Coaching explicitly teaches strategies for managing stress, processing emotions, and navigating change.

Strategies a Young Person Learns Through Coaching

Coaching equips young people with a toolkit of practical strategies they can use throughout their lives. These include:

• Improved Self-Awareness: Understanding their own emotions and triggers.
• A Positive Mindset: Learning to focus on strengths and possibilities.
• Stronger Confidence: Building self-belief through small, achievable wins.
• Accountability: Taking ownership of their goals and actions.
• Adaptability: Developing skills to navigate change and transition.
• Self-Discovery: Clarifying their interests, passions, and career aspirations.
• Personal Growth: Fostering a continuous desire to learn and improve.

Anyone Can Train to Be a Youth Coach

One of the most significant advantages of a coaching approach is its versatility. You do not need to be a therapist to make a difference. Teachers, youth workers, mentors, and anyone working with young people can train to become a coach.

These coaching skills can be integrated seamlessly into existing roles and employability programmes. Imagine an apprenticeship mentor using coaching techniques to help a young person overcome a confidence crisis, or a pre-apprenticeship leader using coaching tools to help participants set meaningful career goals. By embedding coaching into employability or pathway-to-work programmes, we can provide holistic support that addresses both practical needs and psychological barriers.

This empowers your staff to move beyond simply giving advice and instead facilitates genuine, lasting change for the young people you support.

Take the Next Step

By equipping young people with resilience and self-belief, coaching offers a sustainable solution to reducing the number of students who become NEET. It empowers them to not just find a job, but to build a fulfilling future.

Ready to explore how a coaching approach can transform the employability support you offer in your school, college or organisation?

Sign up for our free introduction to the coach online training to discover the fundamentals of our approach to coaching young people.

Or, download our coach training prospectus to find out more about our accredited courses.

Source

Data provided by the Learning and Work Institute 2025, Young people who are not in education, employment, or training – what does the data tell us? access here