Over the years, I’ve noticed that no matter the issue, experts and journalists will never dream of looking north for a solution.

Yesterday, in the Guardian:

A shock government-backed report this week warned of the danger of a “lost generation” of young people in Britain, as the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neets) rose to more than 1 million.

According to official UK statistics, roughly 13.5% of young people are not in work or college. Among 18- to 24-year-olds the share rises to 15.8% – nearly one in six.

In the Netherlands, the equivalent figure has been below 5% for well over a decade. According to Eurostat, whose wider 15-29 age bracket produces a higher figure, the Dutch Neet rate was 5.3% last year. The Resolution Foundation concluded in a recent report that if Britain could match the Dutch Neet rate, 600,000 more 18- to 24-year-olds would be learning or earning today.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/29/netherlands-britain-youth-jobs-crisis

Gee, I wonder what’s the NEET rate in Scotland? An exact comparison is no more possible than that between the ‘UK’ and Netherlands, but as we’re talking percentages so they’re still pretty informative.

Scotland’s primary official measure (via Skills Development Scotland) focuses on the 16-19 age group using the Annual Participation Measure, which reported 3.9% not participating (NEET-equivalent) in 2025 (for the period covering April 2024–March 2025), with 93.3% participating in education, employment, or training.

Perhaps, Scotland is doing better on NEETs than Netherlands too?

If we are, why?

• Stronger emphasis on apprenticeships and vocational pathways: Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeships system is more established and integrated than in much of England. It provides paid, work-based training routes for 16+ year olds, helping smooth the school-to-work transition and keeping more young people in employment or training. High completion and retention rates in these programmes contribute to better outcomes. skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk
• Higher youth employment rates and lower inactivity: Scotland has often shown higher employment rates among 16–24 year olds and lower economic inactivity (not in work, education, or training) compared to the UK average. This reflects better overall engagement in the labour market or education. gov.scot
• Policy focus on youth employment: Successive Scottish Governments have prioritised youth employment strategies (e.g., Developing the Young Workforce), with targets, funding for training places, and careers support. This includes efforts to align education with employer needs. gov.scot
• Economic and sectoral differences: Scotland has strengths in sectors like energy, tourism, public services, and certain manufacturing that employ younger workers. The overall Scottish labour market has also shown resilience, with lower overall unemployment than the UK in recent periods. https://www.gov.scot/publications/labour-market-trends-march-2026/pages/unemployment-estimates/

In summary, Scotland’s better performance is largely attributed to a more developed apprenticeship and vocational system, plus targeted youth employment policies that improve transitions into work. These have helped it outperform the UK average even as broader economic conditions tighten.