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Research by the Office for National Statistics estimated that by March 2026 1,012,000 young people were not in education, employment or training (NEET). This is around 13.5% of all 16 to 24 year olds, and an increase from 9.7% in June 2021. Research from November 2024 found that Dover had the highest proportion of young people NEET in Kent.
As part of our ongoing place-based engagement across Kent, EK360 spoke to 40 residents in May who live in Dover. One of the top themes that we heard about was feedback around young people who are NEET with 29% of people we spoke to mentioning it. This includes 7 pieces of feedback from young people who are NEET themselves, who we spoke to at Future Skills CIC.
"I used to go to school at Portal House. I hated it there. All the walls were white, and the lights were very bright. They would occasionally restrain and it was really tight and I hated that. I did punch a teacher once while I was there...I like being outdoors whenever I can. I live right out in the fields and it is nice to just be able to run around them where there is no one around."
"They need more spaces like this [Future Skills] if you don't fit in at schools. Even the colleges don't accept them. What jobs are available are limited, these days you need GCSEs to do glass collecting and pot washing at pubs. Young people want to work but the jobs are not open to them now."
Locally, there have been targeted projects funded by Dover District Council to help get young people into work, such as the Future Proof Dover scheme, a 10-week mentoring programme delivered in late 2025. Schemes such as Future Proof can help develop skills and confidence for young people.
We also heard feedback about the difficulties young people have with travel in the area due to issues with bus provision. Facing difficulties travelling is another potential barrier to work.
"My bike got stolen recently, even though it was kept in an area that couldn't be seen from the roadside, so someone had already scouted out the area. We have a bus that comes past where we are but doesn't stop so it doesn't really help so it is hard to get around... I am leaving college as I am turning 22 and there really doesn't seem to be anything to do."
"Nothing here is transport wise, so expensive to travel that young people are reliant on parents, and then the cost insurance if they learn to drive is prohibitive."
Issues with the bus service in Dover was a common theme in the feedback that we heard from people of all ages, with 52% of people mentioning encountering issues with the bus service. People raised concerns over services being cut or not serving their area, increasing travel time to hospital or forcing people to drive to then get a bus.
"I rely on buses to get about and they've cut their services to the hospital. It's only one an hour now, down from three. If you have a 4pm appointment, you now have to get the 3pm bus and sit around waiting. I feel sorry for the older people who rely on them."
"The bus service is an issue. We just don't have one out at all where we are. So I drive to where I can get a bus into town, park and then go from there. It is the only reason I have a car these days."
Across Kent, the total bus network in 2023/24 was 80% of the size of the network in 2019. Accessibility of journeys (access to a bus within 15 minutes) had fallen in Kent urban areas by 20% as well.
From this feedback is seems that a reduced bus service in Kent is creating an additional barrier for young people who are NEET as well as older members of the community. Current and future services and schemes aimed at assisting the young NEET population may need to consider their accessibility by public transport to ensure that young people in more peripheral areas have reliable access.
Bias and Limitations
Residents we spoke to were those who were available and willing to speak to us at the time and location of each engagement event. Therefore, the sample is not representative of the Dover population. 2 of the 5 total engagement visits were carried out at Future Skills CIC, a centre for young people who are NEET. These findings should be interpreted as indicative trends rather than conclusive evidence.
