Social policy and transitions to training and work for disabled young people in the United Kingdom: neo-liberalism for better and for worse?

Yates, Scott and Roulstone, Alan (2013) Social policy and transitions to training and work for disabled young people in the United Kingdom: neo-liberalism for better and for worse? Disability & Society, 28 (4). pp. 456-470. ISSN 0968-7599

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Abstract

Although New Labour distanced itself from the neo-liberal ‘underclass’ discourses of its predecessors, its approach to disabled young people maintained key aspects of neo-liberalism, particularly an emphasis on individuals’ human capital, aspirations and self-investments as causes of and solutions to disabled young people’s unemployment. This is also apparent in early Coalition government statements. Since the 1990s, policies have focused on providing individually-tailored advice, developing individuals’ skills, and motivating appropriate self-investment. We examine recent evidence that highlights a number of problems with this focus. Notably, it entails a simplistic and individualised notion of ‘barriers’ to employment that cannot account for the complex impacts of disablement and inequality; moves towards open-market models of training and work support create perverse incentives that divert support away from those most in need; employment success is dependent on unpredictable local opportunity structures; and the focus on paid employment undermines other social contributions made by disabled young people.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Funding information: This article is the result of a 12-country commissioned study of national vocational transitions and barriers coordinated by the French Ministry of Social Affairs and the EHESP Sorbonne.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	young people, disability, employment, transition, social policy, individualization
Subjects:	L400 Social Policy L500 Social Work
Department:	Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing
Depositing User:	Ay Okpokam
Date Deposited:	30 Aug 2012 11:24
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2021 15:41
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/8527

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