Data collection practices on NEETs from Malta and Croatia
The atWork4NEETs project has come to the end of its second semester and has some excting news to share: we have worked hard to internally evaluate and select 4 good practices on data collection and analysis on NEETs.
Our common aim was to find and share the best solutions to identify and track young people who are not in not in education, employment or training.
In order to find the 4 best practices you are about to read, the atWork4NEETs partners engaged their stakeholders in a consultation though surveys, meetings, interviews and workshops.
You can find out more about the last 2 selected practices through an interview with the project experts here below.
Malta: Intersectional administrative data analysis of the NEET population
Could you kindly describe your practice?
This practice entails identifying and supporting the NEET population in Malta. Through Jobsplus, a comprehensive database of NEET individuals is compiled by integrating data with legislative backing and strategic collaborations with Government entities, including the employed, and individuals in education or training, along with the register of job seekers. This initiative directly addresses the challenges faced by NEETs and aims to provide them with appropriate support.
Which are the elements that make your practice a good one?
In evaluating the effectiveness of this practice, several key factors emerge. Firstly, its relevance is paramount as it caters specifically to the NEET population, ensuring direct applicability. Secondly, its sustainability is evident through the creation of a new database by utilising existing administrative data. The data acquired is used for The NEETs Census, outreach, and dissemination purposes, aiding the NEET population with the services offered by Jobsplus.
What makes it easily replicable in different contexts?
Affordable, efficient and high-quality data is acquired at minimal costs. By maintaining and strengthening communication flows between public bodies and validating the NEETs data, the integrity of the information is enhanced, leading to reliable outcomes. The introduction of an Application Programming Interface (API) would further reduce costs while sustaining the practice. These factors contribute to the scalability and adaptability of the approach, making it readily replicable in varied settings.
“Dos and dont’s” for anyone across Europe willing to adopt your good practice: fire away!
To ensure the efficacy of this approach, continuous data updating is essential to maintain relevance and reliability. However, it is imperative to adhere to GDPR regulations before implementing such practices. While transferable to other countries, legal barriers, particularly GDPR compliance, may vary and require careful consideration.
> Find out more about this good practice
Croatia: ESF project "Establishment of a monitoring system for NEET persons"
Could you kindly describe your practice?
This project was carried out in 2018 by the Ministry of Labour and Pension System with the purpose of establishing a system of detection and monitoring of young persons aged 15-29 in NEET status in order to facilitate their reintegration into the education system or the labour market. Based on the exchange and analysis of the obtained data, a system was developed that would help in the identification of the NEET population.
Which are the elements that make your practice a good one?
Cross-sectoral cooperation, multiple data sources combined, and a focus on one of the most populous groups of disadvantaged persons are examples of good practices. Without a centralized system or a focal point for data gathering, a joint effort by various stakeholders on the labour market seems the only approach in pushing the NEET dynamics for the better. In this regard, the project showed flexibility and innovation.
What makes it easily replicable in different contexts?
Methodology and recommendations; at least three different databases were utilized and status of a potential NEET person was cross-checked in order to define several possible outcomes; database containing high school students was merged with the databases containing university students and registered employed/unemployed persons, thus revealing percentage and numbers of the NEET persons. Further cross-checking was recommended in different time spans, as well as further expansion of the research sample.
“Dos and dont’s” for anyone across Europe willing to adopt your good practice: fire away!
To ensure the relevance of any methodical approach related to this subject, one must strive to include as many members of the NEET population as possible. Further recommendation is monitoring of a potential NEET person in time sequences related to the person’s exit from formal education.
> Find out more about this good practice
If you’re eager to find out more about the good practices we just presented, please register to our webinar and join us on Feb.20th 2024.