Vassiliou urges young people to make Youth on the Move a reality.
Action to tackle youth unemployment will be the focus of the EU Youth Conference in Budapest / Gödöllő, which brings together more than 100 youth representatives and policymakers on 2-4 March. Ms. Vassiliou said: 'Five million young people are out of work and the conference is a chance for youth representatives to make their voice heard in how Europe can best address this problem.'
'The Commission is committed to helping young people gain the skills they need to get a job. Our Youth on the Move initiative, for instance, proposes measures to improve education and training, as well as raising awareness of the benefits that studying or training abroad can bring for employability and personal development. But we need young people to mobilize to make Youth on the Move a reality.' The conference forms part of the ‘structured dialogue’ between young people and policymakers. Twice-yearly consultations take place in all EU countries, with results discussed at EU youth conferences, organised by the current EU Presidency with the European Commission. As 2011 is EU-China Year of Youth, Chinese participants will also attend the conference. More information: www.mobilitas.hu/eutrio-youth.hu (contact: Dennis Abbot + 32 2 295 92 58)
