Approximately 3 out of every 10 Colombian young people between 18 and 29 years old are in the NEET group, an expression that identifies those young people who neither study nor work, as revealed by a report from the UR Center for Humanitarian Affairs. OECD of the University of Rosario. In the case of Colombia, 28.6% of young people between 18 and 24 years old and 19.3% of those between 25 and 29 years old are classified as NEET. These figures exceed the OECD average.
If the figure is correct, with 42.7%, Cesar is the department in the Caribbean region with the most young people between 18 and 24 years old who do not study or work. They are followed by Córdoba (37.8%), Sucre (37.1%), Bolívar (35.33%), Magdalena (36%), La Guajira (29.6%) and Atlántico (29.8%).
The analysis indicates that in the regions with the highest percentage of NEETs, “there are significant barriers to participation in productive or educational activities, which could have lasting consequences on their economic potential and social well-being.”
In the department of Cesar, this problem has a woman’s face, because 66.2% of NEETs are women between 18 and 24 years old.
SECOND GROUP
The other age group analyzed by the Universidad del Rosario are young people between 25 and 29 years old. In this group, the number of young people who neither study nor work at Cesar rises to 44.60%.
According to the last census, Cesar is one of the “younger territories of the country” and it would be expected that in a few years the percentage of people between 15 and 34 years old would represent the largest part of the pyramid, according to Cesore.
The study recommends the implementation of educational programs that respond to the specific demands of the labor market by each department, guaranteeing the relevance and quality of technical and professional training, which also facilitate the transition of young people to the labor market. On the other hand, “it is also essential to address gender inequalities from educational and professional development.”
NEET PROFILE
The report from the Universidad del Rosario defines two types of NEETs. Unemployed NEETs, who are young people who are actively looking for work, however, cannot find one due to different factors, whether due to job competition, lack of experience or market demands. And the inactive NEETs, who are neither looking for work nor participating in education.
Thanks to the ‘Education at a Glance 2023’ report, carried out by the OECD and which seeks to generate a conversation about the untapped potential of young people, especially NEETs, this x-ray showed that NEETs represent 25% of the youth population globally.
But young Colombians face greater obstacles in the process of labor and educational insertion, which could be a symptom of “structural imbalances in the economy, challenges in the education and training system and a possible lack of policies that promote integration.” of these young people in the productive fabric,” explained the rector of the Universidad del Rosario.