The Youth Employment Initiative Manuela GELENG Head of Unit E1, ESF and FEAD Policy and Legislation European Commission - DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Brussels, 12 November 2014

Overview YEI – scope and main principles State of play of YEI programming and implementation

Youth Guarantee Recommendation Council Recommendation of 22 April 2013: Member States need to: ensure that all young people up to 25 receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education.

Other EU programmes/instruments: EaSI, ERASMUS +, ERDF support,… Youth Policies & Funding… EU level policy Funding Young NEET QFT EAfA EURES/YfEj ESF YEI National budgets Youth Guarantee Max 4 months Traineeship Apprenticeship Job Continued education & training Member States level policy Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan, involving partnerships Other EU programmes/instruments: EaSI, ERASMUS +, ERDF support,…

European Social Fund 2014-20: Dedicated investment priority for young people: Sustainable integration of young people in particular those not in employment, education or training, including young people at risk of social exclusion and young people from marginalised communities, into the labour market, including through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee; YEI is programmed within this ESF investment priority Other relevant investment priorities

Youth Employment Initiative Launched by the European Council on 7-8 February 2013 To support in particular some aspects of the Youth Guarantee schemes (actions for individuals) EUR 6.4 billion for the period 2014-2020 - open to all NUTS2 regions with levels of youth unemployment (age group 15-24) above 25% in 2012. EUR 3.2 billion ESF +EUR 3.2 billion from a specific 'youth employment' budget line in the EU budget = YEI Resources The YEI is front-loaded to 2014-15, n+3 spending rule applies

ESF Regulation provisions on YEI (1) YEI will target actions to individuals only (not systems and structures). ESF can support systems reform YEI target group: - NEETs aged below 25, or optionally below 30 years - who could be: inactive or unemployed (+long-term); registered or not as job seekers; residing in the eligible regions N.B.: NEETS are a heterogeneous group (can be both high and low-educated). MS will themselves define the target population of NEET

ESF Regulation provisions on YEI (2) 4-month criterion of the YG does not apply legally to YEI Early eligibility date of expenditure – 1 September 2013/ early adoption of dedicated YEI OPs Direct and speedy results expected – YEI result indicators Ex-ante conditionality on YEI: need for a strategic policy framework on youth employment to be in place before the MS access this funding. => Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan

YEI – possible measures: provision of traineeships and apprenticeships; first job experience; hiring incentives for employers to recruit youngsters; job and training mobility measures; start-up support for young entrepreneurs; vocational education and training leading to a qualification; where relevant for early school leavers - second chance programmes. Aim: deliver these actions as part of integrated pathways and based on the individuals' needs/ individual actions plans.

YEI and the ESF YEI has a specific purpose, to act in the worst-affected regions YEI is fully integrated in ESF programming YEI will enhance and complement, not replace ESF actions MS are expected to allocate more ESF for youth actions than only YEI resources

State of play – YEI Programming All 34 YEI-relevant OPs are officially submitted 3 YEI-relevant OPs adopted: FR, IT and LT – worth EUR 1.6 billion (YEI resources); pre-financing payments made COM observations sent to 30 OPs COM estimates it could adopt 23 OPs by end-2014, worth EUR 3.8 billion

State of play – YEI implementation Letter by Cssr Andor of 16 July 2014 requesting MS estimates for both YEI and ESF 2014-20 spending since September 2013 for YEI and in 2014 for ESF Questionnaire to all ESF (and YEI) Managing Authorities – by 26 September Replies received from all MS (though some very late)

Main findings from the MS questionnaire replies (1) Most MS indicate they are still spending 2007-13 funding for youth employment measures, incl. reallocated amounts from the Youth Action Teams: - considerable volumes - substantial coverage Few MS take advantage of early eligibility of expenditure date and are mobilising 2014-20 funding in the absence of adopted OPs

Main findings from the MS questionnaire replies (2) Summary of estimates as provided by MS: By end of 2014 (new progr.period only): YEI + other ESF spending in 2014: 844 MEUR Number of young people targeted: 886,000 Number of persons receiving quality jobs, apprenticeships, traineeships or continued education (=YG offer): 376,000

Thank you for your attention! 15