Towards a better understanding of NEET youth in Ontario
In 2018, Blueprint led one of Ontario’s most comprehensive studies of youth who are not in employment, education or training, known as NEET youth. Commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the project responded to a critical evidence gap: governments knew that many young people were disconnected from school and work, but had limited Ontario-specific evidence about who these youth were, what they needed, and what the long-term costs of inaction could be.
Blueprint designed a mixed-methods research initiative that combined population-level analysis, administrative data, cost modelling, a survey of 909 NEET youth, and focus groups with 59 staff from 52 youth-serving agencies across Ontario. The result was a landmark evidence base that gave decision-makers a clearer picture of the scale, complexity, and economic significance of youth disconnection.
The findings showed that roughly one in eight Ontario youth—more than 315,000 young people—were NEET at any given time. Many had been disconnected for extended periods, yet the research challenged common assumptions: most NEET youth wanted to work, return to school, build careers, gain financial independence, and contribute to their communities. Their barriers were not a lack of ambition, but intersecting challenges such as mental and physical health needs, caregiving responsibilities, unstable housing, transportation barriers, limited work experience, and gaps in coordinated services.
A major contribution of the study was its analysis of public costs. Blueprint estimated that NEET youth were associated with $1.92 billion in additional annual fiscal costs to Ontario taxpayers, including costs related to health care, social assistance, crime, homelessness, and lost tax revenue. Foregone earnings represented an additional $6.4 billion in annual social costs. The report also modelled lifetime costs and illustrated how timely, targeted interventions could improve outcomes for youth while generating significant savings for government and society.
Today, the report remains highly relevant. It demonstrates Blueprint’s ability to help public-sector clients move beyond describing social challenges toward understanding their drivers, costs, and opportunities for action. By combining rigorous data analysis with youth and practitioner perspectives, the project gave governments a practical foundation for designing more coordinated, preventative, and cost-effective policies and programs. It also made the case that investing in young people is both a social imperative and a smart use of public resources.
Reports and resources
Our team and partners live and work on the traditional territory of many Indigenous people across Turtle Island. Blueprint’s home office is situated in the area known as Tkaronto, an area that has been caretaken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat for thousands of years. We strive to meaningfully incorporate principles of reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in our day-to-day work, as is our collective responsibility as treaty people, which requires ongoing reflection and collective action.
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