5 reasons why rural NEETs matter
1. TO ADDRESS A COMPLEX SOCIAL CHALLENGE AT THE EU LEVEL
The proportion of NEETs in rural areas is higher in rural regions, compared to cities and suburban areas, in 12 out of 27 countries.
Within-country disparities are very big: in some countries, especially in Southern and Eastern countries, the proportion of rural NEETs is 15% higher compared to cities (e.g., Bulgaria, Greece, Romania) (Eurostat, 2021).
2. TO ADDRESS SCHOOL FAILURE IN RURAL AREAS
School failure is one of the strongest predictors of becoming NEET. The levels of Early School Leaving from Education and Training (ESLET) are higher in rural areas across the EU and many of the South and Eastern countries of the Union, seriously increasing the risk of becoming NEET (Eurostat, 2021).
3. TO FACE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN RURAL AREAS
Youth unemployment rates are higher across European rural areas, compared to cities and suburban areas (Eurostat, 2021).
Youth unemployment in the countryside is driven by the centrality of the farming sector, low levels of industrialization and internal mobility limitations (e.g., low connectivity with cities, lack of transportation) (Gasparovic& Prieto-Flores, 2021).
4. TO PREVENT OUTMIGRATION AND BRAIN DRAIN
Rural areas are plagued by high levels of youth outmigration and brain draining. Those leaving are the most academic-minded. Those staying behind are mostly the ones with lower levels of social capital and educational attainment.
Thus, young people remaining show a greater chance of becoming NEET (Farrugia, 2016; Simões, 2019; 2021).
5. TO PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN RURAL AREAS
Youth out-migration and low resourced rural young people threats social and civic participation in rural areas (Theodori & Theodori, 2015).
Current challenges associated to sustainable rural areas require strong communities, capable of influencing policies oriented to resources management and usage.
