The ethos of vulnerability has come to play an increasingly central role in shaping cross-sectoral transition policies and practices related to young people outside of education and working life. Yet the wider effects of this ethos in policies and practices are still rarely analysed. In this article, we draw our data from five separate studies. The data set includes policy documents, news reports, programme guidelines as well as interview and ethnographic data. This article shows what kinds of effects the ethos of vulnerability in cross-sectoral transition policies and practices can have on young people outside education and working life.