The EC reducing youth unemployment in Europe
Despite everything the EU and its member countries are doing, employment prospects for young people in the EU are bleak. One in five under-25's who are looking for work cannot find a job. 7.5 million 15-24 year-olds are neither working, nor in education or training.
To respond to this situation, the European Commission is proposing a Youth Opportunities initiative in partnership with all EU countries.
The purpose of the initiative is twofold:
- To help unemployed young people who left school or training before finishing upper-secondary level to get back to school or into a vocational training course that can give them the skills they need to get a job.
- To give a first work experience to young people who have a diploma, but cannot find work.
The main actions financed directly by the Commission in the new 'Youth Opportunities initiative' are:
• using €4m to help Member States set up 'youth guarantee' schemes to ensure young people are either in employment, education or training within four months of leaving school;
• dedicating € 1.3 million to support the setting up of apprenticeships through the European Social Fund. An increase of 10% by the end of 2013 would add a total of 370,000 new apprenticeships;
• using €3m of the European Social Fund Technical Assistance to support Member States in the setting up of support schemes for young business starters and social entrepreneurs;
• gearing funds as much as possible towards placements in enterprises and targeting at least 130,000 placements in 2012 under ERASMUS and Leonardo da Vinci,
• providing financial assistance in 2012-2013 to 5,000 young people to find a job in another Member State through the 'Your first EURES job' initiative
• reinforcing the budget allocation for the European Voluntary Service in order to provide at least 10,000 volunteering opportunities in 2012
• presenting in 2012 a framework for high quality traineeships in the EU
• ensuring around 600 further exchanges under Erasmus for entrepreneurs in 2012.
For more information consult the European Commission's website on Youth as well as Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.