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Evidence-base policy conference "Youth and Social Inclusion"
'Social inclusion of youth on the margins of society: more opportunities, better access, and higher solidarity'

17-18 November 2011, European Commission DG Education & Culture, MADOU Auditorium Brussels, Belgium

In support of the "Youth on the Move" and "European platform against poverty" Flagship Initiatives, DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission organises on 17 - 18 November 2011 an evidence-based and policy-oriented conference on "Youth and Social Inclusion". At this occasion a policy review on "More opportunities, better access, and higher solidarity for youth on the margins of society" will be presented and discussed.

The policy review summarises the research findings and policy orientations arising from a cluster of 5 complementary and interrelated FP7 research projects on socially excluded youth (such as young migrants, long-term unemployed or homeless youth, those in public care). The policy review and conference will focus on policy solutions to break the glass-ceiling at individual, social and institutional levels.

Researchers, stakeholders and policy-makers will discuss the potential for inclusive educational and labour market policies, activated civil society, and last but not least, social intervention programmes carried out in cooperation and partnerships of public and private sectors supported by social protection measures, together with young people.

Correspondingly, three thematic sessions will look into:

  • Opportunities for socially excluded youth to overcome their biographical disadvantages
  • Formal and non-formal learning actions for inclusive, accessible and affordable learning
  • Pathways of transitions to adulthood, parenthood, labour market and social integration

aiming to support social innovation in addressing poverty and exclusion around three policy axes:

  1. Promote citizenship and political participation (empowerment of the youth agency) - volunteering, social networks, participation in organisations, improve the cooperation between sectors, increase the role of the civil society - will encourage solidarity between actors and the whole societies
  2. Integration of policies and their inclusive character: inclusive educational policies (certain school contexts) may help to overcome the structural inequalities in combination with social protection and inclusive labour force policies - will improve the accessibility to education and labour market of the excluded youth groups
  3. Increase the formal support, protection and encouragement - will open up more opportunities for social inclusion of the excluded youth