Neala Sheils Lands Hotel Job After 2-Year Search as UK Neet Total Reaches 981,000
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 27
Neala Sheils Lands Hotel Job After 2-Year Search as UK Neet Total Reaches 981,000
1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 27
Summary
20-year-old Glasgow resident Neala Sheils found hotel work last month after two years of unsuccessful applications, ending a period in which she was classed as not in education, employment or training.
Three months of specialist support from mental health charity SAMH helped her secure the job after inconsistent Jobcentre coaching and autism-related interview difficulties had repeatedly undermined her confidence.
981,000 people aged 16 to 24 across the UK were Neet between April and June—13% of that age group—and 60% were economically inactive rather than actively looking for work.
Scotland’s data gap makes its position harder to judge because it stops tracking young people in the same way after age 19, even though 20-to-24-year-olds are more likely to be Neet.
SAMH says rising mental health problems and neurodevelopmental conditions are driving barriers to work, while the Scottish government says it supported more than 55,000 young people from 2019 to 2026 and is reviewing data on 20-to-24-year-olds.