The Youth Contract for 16-17 year olds not in education, employment or training evaluation

These three reports evaluate and analyse the effectiveness of the Youth Contract for 16- to 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) to encourage participation in education or training. The Youth Contract program is being delivered across England and aims to engage those young people who are hardest to reach and support them into education, training or a job with training. Two models were established. One was national, commissioned through a prime provider-subcontractor approach and featured payment-by-results (PbR) with a focus on sustained 'hard' outcomes. It was subject to strict eligibility such that only low-qualified young people, care leavers and young offenders who were NEET could access it. The other model devolved funding to three core city areas where six local authorities (LAs) determined the shape and nature of delivery. The scope and nature of delivery and the eligibility criteria were locally determined.