The European Policy Centre, on Tuesday 20th September, organized a Policy Dialogue to mark the conclusion of its Task Force on Youth Employment and draw on the findings of a new EPC study, looking into the impact of the Youth Guarantee and the direction taken by labour market reforms across the European Union. The event opened with a keynote speech by Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, followed by a debate with other high-level speakers.
Youth unemployment has pursued a downward trend since 2013 heralding a positive development for the European Union. However, strong variations in youth employment persist across Europe and young people are still disproportionately disadvantaged on the labour market. Is it therefore legitimate to claim Europe is winning the battle? What more should be done to intensify efforts to facilitate the integration of young people into the labour market and maximize the success of the Youth Guarantee?
In her introductory remarks Commissioner mentioned that youth unemployment is one of the most serious challenges for Europe and expressed Commission’s commitment to tackling it. She referred to the EPC Report on Youth Unemployment, as an important input to the debate on the future of Europe. Youth unemployment is indeed an issue very close to her heart, both personally and politically. For the Commissioner it is clear that Europe’s growth and prosperity is based upon our greatest asset: our people. This is why our first priority should be to ensure that Europe is a place where our young people can flourish and achieve their potential; a place of positive prospects for all. Without that, Social Europe would be, an empty shell; or to use the words of the Greek poet, Seferis, nothing but an ‘empty shirt’.
Moreover, she stated that with the Commission as a frontrunner, the EU took action and made fighting youth unemployment a top priority. The Youth Guarantee with the support of the Youth Employment Initiative pushed youth unemployment up the political agenda in every single Member State. Member States committed to provide young people with a good quality offer of employment, further education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of leaving formal education or becoming unemployed. Three years after the launching of these initiatives, the question that the EPC Conference poses is very timely: Can we claim victory?
Mrs Thyssen tried to answer to this question by sharing some key findings and messages that already emerge:
• By the end of 2014, all Member States had submitted Youth Guarantee Implementation Plans and schemes started rolling out progressively. The Youth Guarantee implementation has proven to be a driver for important structural reforms.
• Three years into the Youth Guarantee, we can confidently say that it is bearing fruit:
-14 million young people registered in the Youth Guarantee scheme
-9 million took up an offer
-1.4 million young people directly supported by the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), which has been mobilised in the regions most hit by unemployment
• The real economy is finally sending positive signals:
-Youth unemployment is decreasing, coming down by about 10% over the last year. There are 1.4 million fewer young people unemployed in the EU;
-there are almost 700,000 fewer NEETs – young people not in employment, education or training; and
-the employment rate for young people has started to rise again.
Commissioner emphasized that it is clear that we have come a long way in our fight against youth unemployment. However, this does not mean that the challenge is behind us. Youth unemployment remains very high, over 18%, and still close to 50% in certain Member States. Today, in the EU, about 12.8 million young people under 30 are still neither in work, nor in education and training.
According to Mrs Thyssen there is still room for improvement. More detailed, we must do more to reach out to the young people furthest away from the labour market, so that they do not fall through the net. Work needs to continue to ensure the good quality of all the Youth Guarantee offers. Effective partnerships are in most cases the strongest factors of success.
Commissioner pointed out that the Youth Guarantee is by no means a panacea. It must be complemented by the right policies focusing on job creation, investment in human capital and should be underpinned by robust labour market and social protection mechanisms. “Every day that a young person cannot find a job is a day too many. We know that we still have a long way to go before our victory is truly secure, but I believe we are on the right path. I hear people saying that winning this battle is important for Europe’s future. I would add it is important also for the present. We owe people in Europe, today and tomorrow, to work with determination and to do everything possible to win this battle. And I am confident that with continued political commitment, sufficient resources and strong resolve, we will have the results we are all striving for”, she concluded.