Job-specific technical skills delivered as part of an active labour market programme to young people aged 16 to 24 can be highly effective in driving engagement in education and training, which supports longer-term employment prospects.
Last updated: 26 August 2026
Medium positive impact
Consolidating
Negative impact
Consolidating
Medium positive impact
Emerging
High - likely to require intense, complex and specific resource needs for effective delivery
For every 100 NEET young people, around 6 fewer may be in employment compared to service as usual 12 to 24 months after the start of the programme that includes off-the-job training – however, a higher proportion will be in various types of training and education. At 24 months after the start of an intervention the impact on employment is in the ‘low or no’ category, suggesting that more young people start to move into work (rather than learning) at this point.
Headline insights about this component based on current high-quality evidence, where off-the-job training is delivered as part of an active labour market programme to young people aged 16 to 24.
UK case study
Very few impact evaluations of programmes including off-the-job training are available for the UK, but a study of the Sector Based Work Academy (SWAP) programme suggests for every 100 people who started the programme, substantially more would be in employment 24 months than would have been without the intervention.
This effect may be stronger for people who had previously been further from the labour market.
Analysis of UK data suggests that getting a vocational qualification or a degree is associated with better long-term outcomes for employment and learning. Young people who engage in these activities may have lower employment rates in the short term, but are building their long-term employability and career prospects.
Reducing NEET
At two years following the start of an intervention, off-the-job training is associated with a lower likelihood of young people being NEET (not in education, employment or training).
Alongside the findings for employment at 24 months post intervention start, this may reflect higher engagement in learning and training.
International studies of programmes with a substantial off-the-job training element suggest that these programmes may often have a positive impact on employment outcomes, but that this may only be observed after a relatively long period following the end of the intervention.
The analysis for the Youth Employment Toolkit suggests that this may reflect the positive impact of off-the-job training on engagement in training and learning, including getting a school leaving qualification, taking part in vocational training, and starting a degree.
Work quality
Off-the-job training is likely to improve income young people earn from work.
Off-the-job training is likely to have positive impacts on income from work, with median effects in the ‘moderate’ range.
Little or no impact on hours spent at work or the length of time for which young people work may reflect more time spent in learning and/or training.
Young people learn about the specialised knowledge and vocational or technical skills required for specific occupations or industries.
is offered as part of a youth employment programme
An example of a UK programme that includes off-the-job training is the Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP).
In the context of the Toolkit, off-the-job training does not include qualifications and training that young people undertake independently or as part of the formal education system.
People aged 16 and over on employment benefits who are at risk of long-term unemployment.
Programme length varies, but most are shorter than six months.
Off-the-job training programmes are independently funded by the central government.
Off-the-job training programmes are likely to increase a young person’s:
In the longer term, off-the-job training can support employers to:
Calculations are based on insights from available high-quality studies on the complexity of delivery requirements and estimated associated costs.
Based on existing evidence, we’ve identified some common features that support the design and delivery of effective xx:
Design, fund and deliver outreach and recruitment activities that raise young people’s awareness, with targeted initiatives to reach under-represented group who are most likely to benefit.
This might include:
Discover more about risk factors associated with being NEET.
Also consider how best to identify and engage the most suitable delivery partners and employers for a programme. Engagement should be timely and clear, in ways that raise awareness and facilitate recruitment, enrolment, and sustained engagement.
Effective programmes may use direct community outreach activities for engaging under-served groups, alongside up-to-date local and administrative data, working with public employment services, or advertising vacancies along with eligibility criteria.
They also seek to match opportunities to young people’s interests and motivations, assessing via pre-programme information and orientation.
Establish effective pre-programme learning and orientation activities to bolster access to and completion of apprenticeships by
Explore the Learning and Work Institute’s guidance for developing skills.
Employers and providers can use the Skills Builder Universal Framework for identifying and addressing gaps.
Design, fund and deliver programmes that:
Effective programmes may utilise personal advisors or co-designed action plans that align with participants’ goals, aspirations and circumstances. These are most effective when used consistently.
Content and design vary depending on the sector in which off-the-job training takes place.
Most of the programmes where a positive impact on participation is seen last for at least a year (and in most cases two or more years).
Many programmes align their content closely with opportunities and skills needs in the local labour market. This relies on strong partnerships with local employers as well as good-quality labour market intelligence. Flexibility within national programmes can help local providers to adapt to conditions in their region or sector, and to adjust in response to changing contexts and opportunities.
Employer input to programmes helps to align training with the needs of the local economy and with opportunities for further training or employment.
Support providers and delivery organisations to accurately and systematically capture and communicate data and milestones and track programme outcomes. This may include structured and standardised tracking forms, or developing realistic programme-specific performance frameworks.
For funders and commissioners – ensure recorded data, reporting and assessment captures a full range of appropriate and relevant youth employment and related outcomes to help rich understanding to ensure rich picture of what programmes do.
Encouraging reporting commonly recognised metrics allows evaluation to be easily comparable and included in the growing evidence base.
Design, fund and deliver apprenticeships that can incorporate staff and young people’s insights and feedback to better respond to needs and improve service delivery, performance and outcomes.
Relevant and strategic adjustments may include changing the intensity, duration of or type of elements, or adapting eligibility criteria or services to fit the needs of young people in the local area.
| Included studies | 41 |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | High-income countries. USA (%) - Care should be taken when translating policy and practice to the UK context |
| Outcome | Labour force status, earnings, employment duration, hours worked, and education & skills |
| Comparator | 'Services as usual' |
The Youth Employment Toolkit brings together evidence from robust studies in high-income countries that:
Find details of individual studies, as well as other systematic reviews of youth employment evaluations, in the Youth Employment Evidence and Gap Map.
More information about included studies can be found in page 55-60 of the full CNMA report. The specific evidence profile for off-the-job training can be found on page 100.
The evidence strength ratings reflect the comparatively smaller number of studies that contributed to the meta-analysis. The evidence for vocational education and training and for NEET has a lower confidence rating because of relative imprecision of the estimate, and a high proportion of evidence from a single country (the USA).
Studies were scored on reported design, sample size, approach to attrition, and definitions of interventions and outcome measures. More detail can be found in the technical guide.
Findings relate only to short-term off-the-job training as part of a youth employment programme.
The following are excluded:
The current evidence can be strengthened by taking a consistent approach to incorporating standardised metrics for education, employment and training outcomes as well as outcomes that indicate work quality.
High-quality impact evaluations of programmes that feature an off-the-job training component in a UK context, particularly those provided to young people who face additional barriers to employment, would be of great value in identifying the most effective approaches to recruitment, design and delivery, as well as quantifying the costs and benefits in terms of employment and education outcomes.
If you have feedback or a question about the Toolkit, please get in touch.
