Limited professional networks
As already noted, the difficulties faced by NEETs are also compounded by the fact that they often lack access to professional networks, or have limited access to them.
Finding employment is particularly difficult if one lacks professional contacts: just think of young NEETs living in rural areas, where they clearly have fewer social interactions and fewer professional contacts.
These isolated young people need a support network that includes family, school, and com-
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community: if they had social and cultural support, they would have much easier access to a professional network.
This also implies that the education system should be reformed for those who do not wish to attend school, introducing career guidance programs for young people who wish to develop practical skills and enter the workforce.
At the same time, a denser professional network should also be made available to these young people to promote collaboration and allow for the flexible aggre-
gation of workers and companies.
If NEETs are isolated from the internet, they have difficulty accessing these contacts.
Therefore, as happens in some countries, they are forced to visit centers that explain local vocations and career opportunities.
These centers don’t always actually exist, and they often lack the useful information or professional skills that could truly support them in their search.
It is therefore essential to establish effective local centers that, both in terms of their ability to find information and the professionalism of their staff, can effectively support young people in training, orientation, and employment.
However, psychological factors and a loss of motivation are often at the root of NEET status: in fact, some young people often lose the motivation to look for
work or pursue training, perhaps after negative experiences (bad interviews, exploitative precarious jobs, etc.).
This phenomenon occurs because, often, there is a lack of effective career guidance and a mismatch between the skills offered by young people and those required by the market. Therefore, those who fail to find a job quickly may become discouraged and stop looking, thus entering the limbo of NEET status.
Frustration and a lack of confidence in themselves or in the “system” can cause a young person to stop trying, entering a sort of withdrawal where they no longer undertake initiatives.
In some cases, mental health issues, anxiety, depression, or social isolation can also play a role.
NEETs, in particular, are afraid to start projects due to a lack of confidence in the future and the job market.
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These fears are continually fuelled by their environment, as the lack of stable, long-term opportunities creates further mistrust and a climate of uncertainty.
Poor education and limited job opportunities make it difficult to recognize and discover one’s own talents, as well as to enter the professional world due to the inability or difficulty of finding profitable contacts.
Therefore, it would be necessary to focus on ongoing training to focus on what one knows, in addition to focusing on small experiences.
Realizing that one is capable of pursuing a simple path, but one in which one feels truly capable and motivated, allows one to begin a process that increases self-confidence and consequently gives them the courage to pursue new paths.
To overcome fear, it is necessary to have the support of professionals who accompany the young person and use innovative guidance tools to help them build a life plan.
Clearly, a disheartened young person lacks the tools to implement a project aimed at integrating them into the world of work, but networking is necessary, involving various professionals and planners who can specifically develop pathways that can be used in the local contexts in which NEETs live.