In the paper Staying Power: Making the raising of the participation age a policy success the body calls for stricter rules around keeping those between 16- and 19-years-old in training.
Under current rules, which came into effect in the summer of 2013, young people are required to stay in education or training until the academic year in which they turn 17. From summer 2015 this will be extended to 18.
The paper focuses on the loosening of the legislation around RPA that makes participation by young people effectively voluntary. It also highlights a decrease in funding levels (down from £7.7 billion in 2010/11 to £7 billion in 2012/13) as a worrying trend that will take away the financial incentives for young adults to stay in education.
Lanacaster University Work Foundation researcher and author of the paper Beth Foley told HR magazine "short-term" thinking, along with funding pressure, is behind the government's decision to decrease the money being put into the project.
"The effect of not being in education or work at a young age can have a profound impact on someone's whole career," she said. "So in the long-term there are savings to be made through not paying out benefits to those who struggle to find work. It can also be made up in potentially higher tax revenues in the future."
