With support from the Youth Guarantee scheme, many young people in Europe have managed to find a job or follow a course which gives their career a boost. Here's the story of Gerda, from Latvia.

She found out about the Youth Guarantee scheme by chance, when she visited the state employment agency for career advice. The adviser told her about a three months training course run through the Youth Guarantee and provided by an NGO that specialises in refugees and displaced people.

A boost for the future

Gerda has a passion for the Arabic language and has a Bachelor’s degree in Asian studies. She started working for the Arab-Latvian Chamber of Commerce, where she can use her language skills on a daily basis. After this short break for the training course, she is now back with the Chamber, where she has been able to apply several things she learned.

The course will also help her realise her ambitions. "I obtained useful knowledge, skills and work experience and became more self-confident. Now I feel more secure about future work possibilities", she says.

Key facts

• In July 2015, the unemployment rate among young Latvians under 25 stood at 15.1%.
• In Latvia, the Youth Guarantee proposes young people aged 15-29 a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving initial education.
• Latvia’s Youth Guarantee includes a range of support tailored to each young person’s particular needs, such as
  • vocational training,
  • wage subsidies,
  • short courses and lectures,
  • work placements,
  • assistance with job interviews
  • help to become self-employed.

Background

The EU countries endorsed the principle of the Youth Guarantee in April 2013. The EU financially supports the set-up and implementation of Youth Guarantee Schemes through the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative. It also provides opportunities to learn from each other, and monitors the implementation in the context of the European Semester. The results of these efforts contribute to providing youngsters a better career future.