Effectiveness of a Social Enterprise Program for Neet Youth: Focused on Career Resilience, Self-Esteem, and Social Capital

Background and Purpose:
Youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) face increasing risks of social isolation and psychological distress due to prolonged detachment from the labor market. In South Korea, the NEET rate among young adults remains one of the highest in OECD countries. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the "NEET Investment Program," a 12-week intervention designed by the social enterprise NEET People. The program supports NEET youth in exploring career pathways and enhancing their psychosocial competencies, specifically career resilience, self-esteem, and social capital. The research question is: Does participation in the program improve these competencies compared to a control group?

Methods:
A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was employed. Participants were 64 NEET youth aged 19 to 39, recruited through open calls via online platforms and community networks. The experimental group (n=39) participated in the NEET Investment Program, which included career exploration workshops, peer support groups, portfolio development, and weekly reflection sessions. The comparison group (n=25) did not receive the intervention. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess changes in career resilience, self-esteem, and social capital using validated scales. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.23, employing descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and paired sample t-tests to determine within- and between-group differences.

Results:
Participants in the NEET Investment Program demonstrated significant improvements in both career resilience and self-esteem compared to the control group. Specifically, the average career resilience score in the experimental group increased from 130.46 (SD=21.36) at pre-test to 136.94 (SD=25.66) at post-test (t=2.344, p<.05), whereas the comparison group showed no significant change (pre-test: 129.68, post-test: 132.56, t=0.510, p>.05). Similarly, self-esteem scores in the experimental group rose from 46.58 (SD=10.76) to 49.02 (SD=10.78) (t=2.438, p<.05), while the comparison group’s scores increased from 44.28 to 47.20 but without statistical significance (t=1.285, p>.05). Social capital scores in the experimental group improved from 53.28 to 54.35, but this change was not statistically significant (t=1.458, p>.05).

Conclusions and Implications:
The NEET Investment Program effectively enhanced psychological readiness and career-related resilience among NEET youth, offering evidence for the potential of social enterprise-led initiatives to address youth disengagement. These findings suggest that programs focusing on personal development, peer support, and exploratory work experiences can complement existing employment-focused policies. Policy recommendations include extending program duration and strengthening components aimed at building social capital. Importantly, this study underscores the need to expand the ecosystem of youth-supporting social enterprises like NEET People. Scaling up such initiatives can create more accessible pathways for marginalized youth to build confidence, reconnect with society, and pursue meaningful work experiences. Future research should explore longer-term impacts and the role of community-based networks in sustaining positive outcomes for NEET youth.