education:
  • 2001    Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial and Business Studies

    University of Warwick

    Thesis title: The evolving youth labour market: a study of continuity and change

    1980    Diploma in Careers Guidance, Nottingham Trent University

    1979    BA (Hons) Social Sciences (Sociology), University of Leicester

languages:

English (native).

Susan Maguire

CASE Fellow

Expertise: 

  • Youth transitions
  • NEET
  • Policy formation and evaluation
  • Post-16 education, employment and training

Sue Maguire is Honorary Professor at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), University of Bath, UK and an Associate Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE). In an academic career spanning thirty years, her work has focused on research, policy development and evaluation in the fields of education, employment, skills and inequality. A particular area of expertise is researching the lives and experiences of young people classified as not in education, employment or training (NEET), unemployed and economically inactive. She has managed large-scale, longitudinal and multidisciplinary studies to evaluate policies and programmes designed to support young people’s transitions to education, employment and training (EET).

Sue has advised policymakers both nationally and internationally. She was an invited expert witness at inquiries held by select committees at the House of Commons and the House of Lords and in 2017, was a panel member of the UK Government’s Independent Review into Young People's Full-Time Social Action. Most recently, Sue has completed: an ESRC project entitled 'A Lost Generation? Understanding and preventing NEETs in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan' (2016-2019), as part of a multinational and multi-disciplinary team; a white paper for Skills Development Scotland (SDS) (2020) on employment support interventions for young people and a review of the international evidence on the raising of the participation age for the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) on behalf of Welsh Government (2021). Until 2023, she is evaluating (with IFF Research), the Kickstart Scheme, which was introduced by the UK government to address youth unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background:

Current Positions: 

  • CASE Fellow
  • Honorary Professor, Institute for Policy Research (IPR), University of Bath
  • Associate Fellow, Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE), University of Oxford

Previous Positions:

  • Professorial Fellow/Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Education and Industry, University of Warwick (2004-2015).
  • Research Fellow, Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP), University of Loughborough (1999-2004).

 

SELECTED RECENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

2021-2023       Evaluation of the Kickstart Scheme (Department for Work and Pensions)

2016-2019       A Lost Generation? Understanding and preventing NEETs in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan (Open Research Area/ESRC)

2015-2017       Understanding economic inactivity among young women aged 16-24 (Young Women’s Trust and Barrow Cadbury Trust)

2015-2016       Think piece on possible options for improving the performance and efficiency of Welsh sixth form schools (Welsh Government)

2012-2014       Evaluation of the Youth Contract for 16- and 17-year-olds (DfE)

2012-2013       Raising of the Participation Age (RPA) Phase 4 Research (DfE)

 

PUBLICATIONS

Maguire, S. (2022) A difficult nut to crack? A review of employment programmes for young people. Edge Foundation.

Maguire, S., Levels, M., Brzinsky, C., Jongbloed, J. and Tkai, H. (2022) ‘Policy interventions Targeting NEETs in Different International Settings.’ in Levels et al. (eds.). The Dynamics of Marginalized Youth: Not in Education, Employment Or Training Around the World. London: Routledge, pp 180-205.

Maguire, S. (2022) ‘How do we define the NEET group?’ in Anagnostopoulou, D. and Skiadas, D. (eds.) Higher Education and Research in the European Union. Switzerland: Springer Cham, pp 317-326.

Maguire, S. (2021) Raising the Age of Participation to 18. Cardiff: Wales Centre for Public Policy.

Maguire, S. (2021) ‘Early Leaving and the NEET Agenda across the UK.’ Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 34 (7-8), 826-838

Danner, M., Guégnard, C. and Maguire, S. (2021) ‘Understanding Economic Inactivity and NEET Status among Young Women in France and the UK.’ Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 34 (7-8),839-854

Maguire, S. (2020) ‘What works? An analysis of Employment Support Interventions for Young people.’ White Paper commissioned by Skills Development Scotland (SDS).

Maguire, S. (2020) ‘Youth 2020 – Preventing another lost generation?’ Intereconomics, Vol. 55 (6), 356-60.

Maguire, S. (2018) ‘Who cares? Exploring economic inactivity among young women in the NEET group across England’. Journal of Education and Work, Vol 31(7-8), 660-675.

Maguire, S. (2017) ‘A Spotlight in young women who are defined as NEET and economically inactive’. Cuadernos de Investigación en Juventud, Vol 11(3), 3-11.

Maguire, S. (2015) ‘NEET, Unemployed, Inactive or Unknown – why does it matter?’ Educational Research, Special Issue: Education to Employment: Complicated Transitions in a Changing World, Vol. 57 (2),121-132.

Maguire, S. (2013) ‘What Measures Can Be Taken to Address the Specific Problem of Young People Who Are NEET?’ Intereconomics, Vol. 48 (4), July, 196-201.

Maguire, S. (2010) ‘ ‘I just want a job’ – What do we really know about young people in jobs without training?’. Journal of Youth Studies. Vol.13 (3), June, 317-333.

Maguire, S. (2008) ‘Paying young people to learn – does it work?’. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, Vol. 13 2), July, 205-216.

Maguire, S. and Thompson, J. (2007) Young people not in Education, Employment or Training – where is government policy taking us now?’.  Youth & Policy, No. 96. Summer, 5-18.

Maguire, S. and Rennison, J. (2005) ‘Two Years On: The Destinations of Young People who were NEET at 16’.  Journal of Youth Studies, Vol. 8 (3), June, 187-202.