The “Manual for the Classification of Intervention Best-Practices with Rural NEETs” is now available. This document deals with developing a methodology to assess best practices among interventions that specifically address rural NEETs, who are accepted as the most vulnerable and socially excluded segment of young citizens.
One of the Manual Editors Paul Flynn says that “Rural NEETs often go unnoticed, falling between the catch-all categories of rural youth and general NEETs. This is in part due to a dearth of documented, theoretically informed, methodologies that have practical application in rural community contexts”.
The transversality of NEETs is presented through definitions of different policies, interventions, and typologies. The subjectivity of rural NEETs is important since being out of the workforce can sometimes be a result of a decision of a young person and arise as a response to structural factors far beyond their immediate influence. Ignoring the underlying motivations that influence such decisions may lead to an overemphasis on addressing macro-variables.
The literature review shows that there are some findings that show the effect of personality traits on being a youth NEET and that family background can also play a key role in NEET identity. Hence, a better understanding of the situation of NEETs, and a systematic evaluation of the interventions, must consider both macro-level variables, in addition to meso-level (family and neighborhood) and individual characteristics, especially psychological traits and subjective expectations.
This manual was prepared by implementing COST Action Rural NEET Youth Network (Modelling the risks underlying rural NEETs social exclusion), which connects about 100 practitioners and researchers from 32 countries.
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