Breaking the cycle of youth disengagement
Dr John Allan explores why we should be positioning outdoor learning at the heart of youth engagement and how a solid evidence base can translate to long-term action.
Youth disengagement across the UK continues to evolve in both scale and complexity. While the term ‘NEET’ (Not in Education, Employment or Training) remains a familiar acronym, outdoor learning practitioners will recognise that the issue extends far beyond education and employment status. Reflected in a range of government-funded strategies and policy initiatives, including the Milburn Review, UK Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment and Skills Measures, we are witnessing a broader condition of youth disengagement which is shaped by inequality, disrupted pathways and growing mental health challenges.
For the outdoor learning sector, this context is not new. What is changing, however, is the strength of the evidence base supporting what practitioners have long understood: that well-designed, experiential outdoor learning can empower and support young people as they navigate the transition to adulthood (1, 2). The question now is how can outdoor learning be positioned as a credible, central component of systems designed to address youth disengagement?
PGL Beyond’s Skills 4 Life outdoor residential programme aims to address youth disengagement by strengthening the resilience, wellbeing and life skills of young people within schools and community groups. To test this proof of concept, we evaluated four pilot interventions which combined outdoor adventure experiences with the development of employability skills among 180 participants aged 16 to 24 from a range of at-risk backgrounds. The results were notable. Statistically significant improvements were observed in resilience, psychological wellbeing and four key soft-skill competencies valued by both employers and contemporary education systems: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking (3).
The importance of these findings lies not only in the outcomes themselves, but in the design principles that underpinned programme development. These residential programmes were not simply focused on participation in outdoor activities. Rather, they were intentionally designed around a clear theory of change, incorporating experiential learning cycles and explicitly linking activities to employability skills. In this context, impact was not incidental; it was purposeful and embedded within the programme design. This distinction is critical as the sector continues to articulate its value to policymakers.
What we learned
Three key principles emerged from the Skills 4 Life programme. The first is the crucial role of structured reflection. Experience alone does not guarantee learning; it is through planned opportunities to reflect, discuss and apply new insights that learning becomes embedded. Through the medium of outdoor pedagogy, participants engaged in workshops delivered by vocational specialists on communication, public speaking, financial management and health. Reflective journals and facilitated discussions further supported meaning-making, helping participants connect their experiences to real-world contexts and develop the skills, emotional literacy and social confidence that underpin employability.
The second principle is the balance between stretch and support. Contemporary adventure education programmes emphasise the value of supported risk-taking in promoting positive psychosocial outcomes. Within Skills 4 Life, young people were gradually exposed to new and uncertain experiences through a carefully structured series of achievable challenges. Rather than seeking dramatic or immediate changes in behaviour, the programme focused on building confidence, competence and resilience over time.
This approach is particularly relevant for vulnerable adolescents, who often benefit from environments that provide both security and acceptance while encouraging personal growth. Such experiences can help develop a broader repertoire of coping strategies and perspectives that may be drawn upon in future challenging situations (4).
A third principle is the creation of a sense of belonging, strengthened through shared experiences and collective challenge. Many young people experiencing disengagement report feeling marginalised or disconnected within traditional education systems. Skills 4 Life provided a powerful alternative context in which relationships, mutual support and shared achievement were central.
Participants consistently highlighted the importance of feeling part of a group, being trusted by their peers and feeling valued by staff. This sense of belonging is not merely an emotional outcome; it is a key mechanism for fostering confidence, motivation and sustained engagement.
Qualitative evidence gathered during the pilot programmes shed further light on the behavioural and psychological changes that underpinned our outcomes. Participants spoke of overcoming fears, developing communication skills and gaining new perspectives on themselves and their futures. Statements about learning not to give up, speaking in front of others without fear and recognising the importance of collaboration suggest deeper shifts in self-efficacy, resilience and identity.
While these findings are encouraging, limitations remain. The absence of comparison groups and the challenges associated with long-term participant tracking mean that conclusions regarding sustained impact should be drawn with appropriate caution.
Looking forward
Youth disengagement carries significant long-term consequences for individuals and society, including reduced employment prospects, poorer health outcomes and increased demand on public services. In this context, outdoor learning should be understood not as an optional enrichment activity, but as a strategic intervention.
The development and evaluation of robust pilot programmes, as discussed, will play an important role in creating scalable and repeatable models that can attract funding and secure the resources needed for wider implementation.
Partnership working is central to achieving this shift. Collaboration between outdoor providers, schools, colleges, youth organisations and employers can enhance both the relevance and reach of programmes. Sharing good practice, building the evidence base and engaging in informed advocacy will be essential in positioning outdoor learning within wider systems of youth support. PGL Beyond is actively working with academic and professional partners to develop a synthesis of stakeholder needs for delivering impactful experiential learning.
If outdoor learning is to be positioned at the heart of positive youth engagement, it must continue to evolve. This means designing programmes that intentionally develop the psychosocial capabilities, hope and real-world skills that young people need to navigate the ‘perfect storm’ of youth disengagement described by Alan Milburn in his recent review.
Robustly measuring and sharing outcomes that matter to young people not only instils belief in their own capabilities, but also provides credible evidence of impact for the parents, schools and youth workers who support them. Crucially, longitudinal evidence of sustained impact is essential for commissioners and policymakers tasked with identifying cost-effective interventions that offer the greatest potential for long-term success.
References
Allan, J. F., Doran, A., Jones, R., & Farrell, S. (2025). Building resilience and well-being for post-covid adolescents through outdoor adventure. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 25(1), 166–192.
Down, M. J. A., Picknoll, D., Edwards, T., Farringdon, F., Hoyne, G., Piggott, B., & Murphy, M. C. (2025). Outdoor adventure education for adolescent social and emotional wellbeing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 25(4), 869–898.
Thornhill-Miller B, Camarda A, Mercier M, Burkhardt JM, Morisseau T, Bourgeois-Bougrine S, Vinchon F, El Hayek S, Augereau-Landais M, Mourey F, Feybesse C, Sundquist D, Lubart T. (2023). Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration: Assessment, Certification, and Promotion of 21st Century Skills for the Future of Work and Education. Journal of Intelligence, 11(3):54.
Ungar, M., Dumond, C., & McDonald, W. (2005). Risk, resilience and Outdoor programmes for at-risk children. Journal of Social Work, 5(3), pp. 319–338.
Meet the author
Dr John Allan is the Head of Impact and Breakthrough Learning at PGL Beyond. He is also a Visiting Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University.
