(Brussels, Belgium)  The unemployment rate for young people aged between 16 and 24 years in the EU27 is twice as high as the overall rate of unemployment, participants at the conference ‘Working Together for Youth Employment: A Global Challenge’ on 30 June 2011 in Brussels, Belgium, were told. The event, co-organised by four EU Agencies Cedefop, EU-OSHA, ETF, Eurofound and hosted by the Employment Committee of the European Parliament, gathered policy-makers and experts from European social partners, European institutions, and representatives from the civil society, to discuss findings and formulate options on what policies could put the Europe’s next generation to work.
Across Europe, specific initiatives by governments or social partners have been implemented such as developing work opportunities or policies aimed at increasing young people’s employability and entry to the labour markets. ‘The 4 million young people unemployed in the European Union is huge challenge for Europe,’ said László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, in his keynote address. ‘Our « Youth on Move » initiative provides an agenda with action to develop jobs for young people.’
The panel debate focused on the need invest in young people, to create jobs and opportunities, and not succumb to the notion of a lost generation. ‘Young people want to work and contribute. It is key for Europe to invest in jobs for the young generation,’ says Emilie Turunen, MEP (DK-Greens). ‘We need to eliminate obstacles for young people to get a job,’ says Steven D´Haeseleer from Business Europe. ‘
The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has increased over the last few years, the conference heard. New research from Eurofound show that the cost of NEETs is EUR100bn/annum, spread over resource costs and public finance costs. ‘Youth unemployment is an excessive cost to society, and we cannot afford this, not in terms of money nor in terms of human lives,’ said Pervenche Berès, MEP (F-PS) and Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee.
Many contributors regarded education and training is key to unlock the potential of the young on the labour market. However, the approaches are different across the EU. ‘Some countries, the “clever” ones, have not cut education budgets and this is a key message of the European Commission,’ said Pierre Mairesse, Director for Lifelong learning, horizontal policy issues and EU 2020 strategy in the European Commission. MEP Marian Harkin (IRL-ALDE) echoed the same opinion: ‘Ireland has become again a country of emigration, with austerity measures focused on cutting back rather than investing. This mindset has to change,’ she said.
Matching skills with jobs, at university level as well as occupational training level, were also discussed. Luca Scarpiello of the European Youth Forum pointed out that it’s not just the low skilled that are finding it hard to find work. ‘We need more quality in internships to help young people getting working experience,’ he said. This was echoed by Christian Lettmayr, Acting Director of Cedefop, who pointed out that those who hold vocational qualifications are more likely than general education graduates to have a job.
The conference also heard special addresses by Saïd Aïdi, Minister of Vocational Training and Employment in Tunisia, and Ahmed Hassan El Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration, Egypt, both focusing on the right to organise labour the labour market. ‘180.000 young graduates in Tunisia are looking for a job,’ said Minister Saïd Aïdi. ‘We are passionate about creating a better future for young people in Tunisia.’
The conference on Youth Employment provided an open and frank exchange of policies, research findings and good practice examples. ‘The EU Agencies have today demonstrated the complementarity and importance of their work on youth employment’, said Pervenche Berès, MEP and Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee.

More information about the event, including presentations, is available at http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/events/2011/agencies300611/index.htm

Photographs from the event are available at http://www.eup-images.com/index.html

For more information about the four EU Agencies and their respective work, please contact:
Bent Sorensen, Head of ETF Communication, on email: bent [dot] sorensen [at] etf [dot] europa [dot] eu, or telephone: +39-011-630 2282.
Måns Mårtensson. Media manager, Eurofound, on email: mma [at] eurofound [dot] europa [dot] eu, or telephone +353-765-593 507.
Gerd Oskar Bausewien, Head of Communication, Information & Dissemination, Cedefop, on email: gerd-oskar [dot] bausewein [at] cedefop [dot] europa [dot] eu, or telephone +30-23-10490 288.
Brenda O’Brien, Manager Brussels Liaison Office EU-OSHA, on email obrien [at] osha [dot] europa [dot] eu, or telephone +32-477-175 770.