Trade Union Training on Youth Employment for ICFTU-APRO Youth Committee Turin May, 2005

Introduction of the ILO report on Youth Employment Submitted to the 93rd Session of ILC Sara Spant Associate Expert on Youth Employment Youth employment Network (YEN)

The ILC 2005 Refine the ILO policy message and technical programme to support constituents on youth employment. Improve technical support. Ensure a comprehensive and integrated policy and programme to support decent work for youth.

Background In November 2003, the ILO Governing Body identified youth employment as a topic for a general discussion at the 2005 ILC. In preparation for this, the GB approved the holding of a Tripartite Meeting, ‘Youth Employment: The Way Forward’ in October 2004, to discuss national policies and programmes for decent work for youth and identify initial areas of agreement on the political, social and economic dimensions of the issue.

Background To facilitate the discussion at the October Tripartite meeting a background paper was prepared: Starting Right: Decent work for young people. Conclusions of this meeting were adopted “to act as a framework for a more complete discussion of this issue at the International Labour Conference in June 2005, where more comprehensive conclusions will be decided”.

Background The background report drew on extensive research on youth employment. It reviewed the current debate on youth employment in the context of the Decent Work Agenda, the Global Employment Agenda (GEA) and the recommendations of the High- level Panel of the Youth Employment Network (YEN).

Background In preparation for the 2005 ILC, a Conference report, Youth: Pathways to Decent Work was prepared, building on the background report for the October Tripartite Meeting.

Youth: Pathways to decent work Provides a global overview of youth employment and the socio-economic factors that help or hinder young people in getting decent jobs, putting forward key issues in the youth employment challenge. It discusses national level initiatives, identifying key lessons in formulating successful policies and programmes. The report illustrates ILO support to constituents, highlighting approaches and tools that have been or could be useful to constituents and proposing some key messages.

Key issues identified Clear distinction between the youth employment challenge and the general employment challenge. Youth face greater barriers than adults in securing decent employment, more so in some regions than others. Low labour demand disproportionately affects young people, who are more vulnerable to the business cycle.

Key issues identified Particular groups of people, such as young women, those living in poverty and/or in rural areas, youth with disabilities, youth affected by HIV/AIDS, indigenous youth, those involved in hazardous work, demobilized young soldiers, young migrant workers and other socially disadvantaged youth are more prone to unemployment and underemployment. The availability of data on youth unemployment and a relative absence of information on the nature of the work young people are doing (part-time, casual, seasonal, informal work, for example) means that policies have neglected conditions of work.

Key issues identified Many young people in countries across the world often work unacceptably long hours under informal, intermittent and insecure work arrangements. Young people are often working below their potential, in part-time, temporary, casual or seasonal employment. Most of the world’s youth work in the informal economy, both in rural and urban areas. They lack adequate incomes, social protection, security and representation.

Key issues identified The ‘transition gap’ between completion of initial education and training, and entry to employment has tended to lengthen, The mismatch of their skills with labour market requirements. Extending employers’ and workers’ organizations’ activities to youth in general, and those working in the informal economy, more specifically, would strengthen the position of young workers.

The ILO key messages For consideration by policy-makers and social partners in developing policies for youth: Strategies for decent employment for youth should be based on international labour standards. Quantitative and qualitative data on youth employment is needed on a national level, disaggregated by age and sex, and ethnicity, geographic location, residency status, deping on country context before designing polices.

The ILO key messages Information on the working conditions, in both the formal and informal economy, is necessary for the development of youth employment strategies to ensure the quality aspect of job creation. The involvement of social partners in the design and implementation of youth programmes and policies is key to their success.

The ILO key messages A coherent, integrated approach to policy development, involving different ministries of government, the social partners and other concerned groups, and especially young people themselves, is essential. Strategies for youth employment promotion should be linked to a macro policy that promotes economic growth, through employment-oriented development programmes, focussing on labour supply and demand, and addressing both quantity and quality of employment.

The ILO key messages Social partners should be involved in the design of laws and regulations to ensure that employment promotion and enterprise development do not compromise workers’ rights. Government and social partner can support and invest in labour-intensive development projects and programmes, enterprise development, social enterprises and cooperatives, including the encouragement of an entrepreneurial culture, to create quality jobs for young people.

The ILO key messages To maximize effectiveness in preparing trainees for the labour market: Skills training needs to meet the needs of the labour market, and be broad-based, flexible and responsive to changing conditions. Training should be continuous and involve retraining to enable workers to cope with technological and occupational change. Training in core work skills and competencies is essential to enable young people to cope with rapidly changing labour markets.

The ILO key messages Closer links need to be established between formal and non-formal education as well as between classroom instruction and workplace learning. Combining experience and vocational training is effective, especially placements in private sector rather than through temporary placements in public sector projects. Basic skills training and traditional apprenticeships are particularly important in developing countries.

The ILO key messages Active labour market programmes are more likely to be effective if:  they are well targeted, well designed and effectively organized;  they meet specific requirements of the intended beneficiaries, based on a careful analysis of the local employment situation and participant characteristics;  they are sited in enterprises;  they include measures to improve the competencies and skills of participants (the supply side of labour), the demand side (available jobs or work experience) or both the supply and demand side in a balanced fashion.

Points for discussion at ILC 1. What are the major disadvantages faced by young people in the labour market? What are the consequences of their lack of access to decent work? 2. What are the components of the package of policies and programmes that encourage decent work for young people? 3. What are the respective roles of governments, employers' and workers' organizations in promoting pathways to decent work for young women and men?

Points for discussion at ILC 1. What is required to ensure that International Labour Standards address youth employment? 2. What should be the priorities for the ILO's policy, research, advocacy and technical assistance with regard to promoting decent and productive work for youth?