Isaac Kamidiora spent six months as a ‘NEET’ after failing his GCSEs in 2024 – before a ‘lightbulb moment’ inspired him to resit his exams and go on to take A-levels

ISLINGTON’s most disadvantaged young people are struggling to access employment and eduction, analysis shows, as they call for “clearer” paths to opportunities.

Figures released by charity Impetus highlighted that over 3,000 young people in Islington are not in education, employment or training (NEET), and young people were 120 per cent more likely to be NEET than most parts of the country.

Isaac Kamidiora, 18, spent six months NEET after failing his GCSEs in 2024. He had grown up in King’s Cross and studied at Capital City College (CCC).

During the period, he told how he had a “light-bulb moment”, inspiring him to resit his exams and progress on to take A-Levels. Now in his final year of sixth-form, he consults the Town Hall on issues faced by young people within the borough.

“For me personally, I was put into this predicament, like, I’d been given rotten lemons and it had to be up to me make lemonade from them,” he said.

“I was NEET for six months and it felt like I was screaming at a brick wall every day. I was trying to get people to see my potential, and it wasn’t working. It makes you feel not worthy. You’re trying so hard, you know, doing 100 job applications, and yet nothing’s working.”

Inequality charity Islington Giving has started a programme called “Young Grant Makers”, which employs youths to decide how money is spent on young people across the borough, helping them access employment and education.

Anaya Grant, 19, who is employed by the programme, said: “I do know a lot of people in Islington personally who are struggling to find jobs. Sometimes the support available isn’t pushed out into the world, and people can be held back and shielded.”

Despite perceptions that Islington is a place of middle-class luxury and expensive townhouses, 43 per cent of its young people are currently living in poverty.

And the borough is experiencing the NEET “crisis” more acutely than other parts of the country, with figures from Impetus showing this is affecting ethnic minorities and young people with SEND disproportionately.

Ms Grant, who also studied at Capital City College, added: “I feel some people are offered opportunities that others aren’t, especially those with SEND. I think they should be shown more opportunities, because of their needs.”

That view is shared by Mr Kamidiora, who said that pathways into work and education needed to be made clearer by schools, particularly for ethnic minority young people.

“I think it comes down to a lack of access and exposure. And I think our schools play a part on this, especially because they’re very, very heavy on traditional pathways.” he added.

“So many people in Islington face barriers to education – maybe they’re not able to get to school because they can’t afford the bus, not at school for health reasons, or maybe they’re being excluded. There is support available, but I think it comes down to this access and exposure. A lot of young people don’t know these services and things are available to them.”

Mr Kamidiora’s journey has seen him give speeches in Parliament six times and host summits on finding employment. Alongside his A-level studies, he wants to inspire other young people in the borough who face the same barriers as he did.