Abstract
The escalating issue of youth classified as Not in Education, Employment, and Training (NEET) is a matter of increasing concern within the context of South Africa. Numerous scholarly studies have documented the characteristics of NEET individuals in relation to their socio-economic standing. The objective of this study was to assess the psychosocial well-being of NEET individuals who are recipients of the Basic Package of Support (BPS) in the areas of Atlantis, Western Cape and Orange Farm, Gauteng. The theoretical framework guiding this study was ecological systems theory. The study employed a positivist paradigm and quantitative research methods to gain insight into the determinants of the overall well-being of young individuals. The secondary data utilised in this study was obtained from the 132 NEET youth who participated in the BPS programme. Data was gathered during pilot studies conducted in Atlantis and Orange Farm. Firstly, the researcher employed descriptive statistics to present a comprehensive overview of the socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics of individuals within the age range of 18 to 27. Additionally, the researcher employed bivariate analysis to ascertain the levels of well-being and examine the association between well-being variables as measured by the Cantril Ladder of Life scale and the WIT-Y assessment. The data analysis involved the utilisation of the Mann-Whitney U test and the Spearman correlation test. The study's results indicated that individuals who participated in the Atlantis programme exhibited superior well-being outcomes compared to those who participated in the Orange Farm programme. The initial observation pertains to the vulnerability profile, which reveals a higher proportion of participants possessing a qualification equivalent to matriculation or higher in the Atlantis region compared to the Orange Farm region. The analysis of the correlation between the WIT-Y assessment and Cantril Ladder of Life revealed a robust association between the domain of social support and relationships and overall well-being. The connection between vulnerability and well-being primarily underscores a correlation with a lower socioeconomic status. Hence, there is a requirement for targeted investments to mitigate vulnerabilities faced by young people, particularly in the domains of education and housing, which serve as examples of vulnerability indicators in the sample.
Keywords: NEET youth, well-being, vulnerability, educational attainment, financial insecurity