EUROPEAN UNION’S STRATEGY FOR YOUTH: INVESTING & EMPOWERING

2 CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES YOUTH DEMOGRAPHICSDIVERSITYMIGRATIONS SOCIAL CHALLENGES DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION CLIMATE CHANGE GLOBALISATION

3 EVIDENCE Almost 20% (96 million) of current EU population are aged By 2050, young people will probably be around 15% Around 20 % of young people in Europe are at risk of poverty 1 in 7 leave school early with only basic qualifications at best Even before the current crisis, over 15% are unemployed (twice more than total population).

4 A VAST CONSULTATION YOUNG PEOPLE On-line Questionnaire (5500 responses) European Youth Week European Youth Forum National Youth Councils EU MEMBER STATES Directors Meetings Reports Visits EXPERTS Youth Researchers Youth in Action programme Dialogue, Youth Events

5 A NEW STRATEGY YOUTH – INVESTING & EMPOWERING Investing in Youth: putting in place greater resources in policy areas that affect young people in their daily life and improve their well being Empowering Youth: promoting the potential of young people for the renewal of society and to contribute to EU values and goals

6 A STRATEGY FOR 9 YEARS ( ) The EU’s vision for young people! A long term strategy (9 years) with a short term impact (3 years)! A priority of the EU social agenda!

7 MOBILISING ALL KEY POLICIES IN 27 MEMBER STATES! Youth policy can’t advance without effective coordination with other sectors Youth policies can contribute in areas such as child and family policy, education, employment, social inclusion, housing, healthcare and gender equality THE STRENGTH OF 27 CROSSECTORIAL POLICIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES IMPROVING ACCESS FOSTERING SOLIDARITY HEALTH & SPORT VOLUNTEERING SOCIAL INCLUSION YOUTH & THE WORLD EMPLOYMENT CREATIVITY & ENTREPRENEURSHIP PARTICIPATION EDUCATION

YOUTH WORK Youth work can help to deal with unemployment, school failure, social exclusion, provide leisure time, increase skills and support the transition from youth to adulthood Youth work should be supported, recognised for its economic and social contribution, and professionalised

TOOLS NO REVOLUTION, BUT BETTER IMPLEMENTATION! Reporting…………………… Evidence-based policy-making….. Peer-learning between countries……… Structured dialogue with young people…… Mobilisation of programmes and funds ……..… Cooperation with other institutions and organisations

AGENDA JUNE 2009 Czech EU Presidency Youth Event: debate with young people and discussion among General Directors SEPTEMBER 2009 Swedish EU Presidency Youth Event: debate with young people and General Directors NOVEMBER 2009 Council of Youth Ministers: resolution about the strategy

EMPLOYMENT AS A FIELD OF ACTION

Young people, the labour market and the crisis Already in previous period of economic expansion young people were facing considerable difficulties entering labour market In the EU27, the youth UR (15-25) had reached 20.2% in Sept 2009 compared to the total unemployment rate of 9.7% resulting in over 5 million young people unemployed Some countries display dramatic rates of youth unemployment: Spain (41.7%), Latvia (33.6%), and Ireland (25.5%) 4 in 10 employed years old work on a temporary contract 25% of youth work in part-time jobs 4% (9%) of youth aged (25-29) are self-employed On average, 30% of young people are still not in employment one year after finishing their education

The European Youth Pact … as one of the instruments contributing to the achievement of the Lisbon objectives. Its Key elements The European Youth Pact Presidency Conclusions of the European Council (March 2005) … as one of the instruments contributing to the achievement of the Lisbon objectives. Its Key elements Communication from the Commission on implementing the European Youth Pact and promoting active citizenship (May 2005) Employment and social inclusion Education, training and mobility Reconciliation of family life and working life

Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs

Integrated Guidelines … Guideline 18: Promote a lifecycle approach to work Integrated Guidelines … Guideline 18: Promote a lifecycle approach to work through: - a renewed endeavour to build employment pathways for young people and reduce youth unemployment; - increase female participation and eliminate gender gaps in employment, unemployment and pay; - better reconciliation of work and private life, including the provision of accessible and affordable childcare facilities;

Integrated Guidelines … Guideline 19: Ensure inclusive labour markets for job-seekers and disadvantaged people Integrated Guidelines … Guideline 19: Ensure inclusive labour markets for job-seekers and disadvantaged people through: - active and preventive labour market measures including early identification of needs; - job search assistance, guidance and training as part of personalised action plans; - provision of social services necessary to support the labour market inclusion of disadvantaged people and contribute to the eradication of poverty; - development of new sources of jobs in services for individuals and businesses, notably on local level.

Integrated Guidelines… Guideline 23: Expand and improve investment in human capital Integrated Guidelines… Guideline 23: Expand and improve investment in human capital through: - inclusive education and training policies and actions to facilitate access to initial vocational, secondary and higher education, including apprenticeship and entrepreneurship training: - reduction of the number of pupils leaving school early; - efficient LLL strategies open to all in schools, business, public authorities and households - continuous workplace training throughout life-cycle approach

Integrated Guidelines… Guideline 24: Adapt education and training systems in response to new competence requirements Integrated Guidelines… Guideline 24: Adapt education and training systems in response to new competence requirements through: - ensuring the attractiveness, openness and quality standards of education and training - easing and diversifying the access for all to education and training and to knowledge by means of working time organisation, family support systems, vocational guidance and new forms of cost sharing - responding to new occupational needs and key competences and future skill requirements by improving the definition and transparency of qualifications, their effective recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning:

Key messages from the 2009 Youth Council (February 2007) 1. Members States should strengthen their efforts to facilitate a smooth transition for young people from education, inactivity or unemployment to employment, while dealing with the specific challenges posed by the economic downturn. 2. Member States should maintain emphasis on coordinated medium- and long-term structural measures (globalisation, demography, climate change) which specifically benefit young people and should take into the account the needs of young people when applying the principles of flexicurity. 3. The role of youth organisations, professional youth work and youth research should be strengthened, particularly as providers of support to young people in the current economic situation.

21 EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE – A KEY PRIORITY FOR POST-LISBON COORDINATION OF ACTION IN MS & EU INVESTMENT IN RIGHT SKILLS

22 EMPLOYMENT MAIN OBJECTIVE Employment policy action in Member States and at EU level should be coordinated across the for components of flexicurity ( flexible and reliable contractual arrangements, comprehensive LLL strategies, effective labour market policies, modern social security systems) in order to facilitate transitions from school, inactivity or unemployment to work. Increase and improve investments in providing the right skills for those jobs in demand on the labour market.

23 EMPLOYMENT EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE ACTIONS  Ensure that youth employment remains a priority  Promote cross-border professional and vocational opportunities for young people  Develop youth work to support youth employability  Develop short-term measures in their recovery plans & structural measures to stimulate youth employment  Lower barriers to the free movement of labour market  Promote quality internship  Improve childcare

Thank you very much for your attention! European Commission – DG EAC – Youth Policy