Investing in Europe's invisible generation Elodie Fazi, EMPL B1 Youth employment YG and YEI three years on Investing in Europe's invisible generation Elodie Fazi, EMPL B1

"The European Union should not only preserve our European way of life but empower those living it. I cannot and will not accept that Europe is and remains the continent of youth unemployment" President Juncker, 2016 State of the Union speech

What is the Youth Guarantee? A commitment from Member States (in the form of a Council Recommendation adopted in April 2013) to: provide every young person under 25 a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within 4 months of becoming unemployed or leaving education.

Where are we now? (15-24)

Three years on from the launch of the Youth Guarantee… 1.6 million fewer young unemployed in the EU There are almost 900,000 fewer NEETs in the EU The employment rate for young people has started to rise again 1.4 million young people directly supported by the EU (YEI)

The Youth Guarantee has become a reality across the EU…

…supported by the mobilisation of EU funds (YEI and ESF) The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) with EUR 6.4 billion: for the first time provided direct targeted support to young NEETs in regions with YU > 25 % = 1.4 m young people supported so far Over the 2014-2020 period, the European Social Fund (ESF) will directly invest at least EUR 6.3 billion — in addition to the Youth Employment Initiative — to support the integration of young people into the labour market The Commission has proposed adding EUR 1 billion from the EU budget to the YEI, to be matched by the same amount from the European Social Fund.

Policy reforms and innovation in policy design Break down silos across policy areas and build partnerships Apprenticeship and traineeship reform Public employment services > improved targeting of services Emphasis on early intervention and non-registered NEETs

Acceleration and broadening the YG: lessons and challenges Full and sustainable implementation > Continued political commitment and financial support Better engaging with non-registered NEETs and the low-skilled Strengthening capacity and coordination Number and quality of offers

Next steps Full roll-out of the national Youth Guarantee Schemes Continue to use YEI support until 2018 + Commission has proposed EUR 1 billion more for YEI over 2017-2020 (matched by EUR 1 billion from ESF) December 2016 Youth Package: stepping up efforts in support of youth more generally (e.g European Solidarity Corps, mobility and quality framework for apprenticeships, European Pillar of Social Rights…)

More information Communication 4 October 2016: Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative three years on (COM/2016/0646 final) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1477901398883&uri=CELEX:52016DC0646 SWD Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative three years on http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=16237&langId=en (Pt1) SWD(2016) 323 final http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=16299&langId=en (Pt2) SWD(2016) 323 final Communication "Investing in Europe's Youth" http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2016:940:FIN Communication "Improving and Modernising Education" http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?qid=1481206862153&uri=COM:2016:941:FIN Communication "European Solidarity Corps" http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2016:942:FIN Webpage European Solidarity Corps https://ec.europa.eu/info/eu-solidarity