Fifty representatives from eight Member States gathered in Paris on 10 - 11 February to discuss how to help young people re-enter employment, education or training.

La Délégation générale à l'emploi et à la formation professionnelle (DGEFP) (The General Delegation for Employment and Vocational Training) hosted the meeting and presented their flagship initiative, the ‘Emplois d’Avenir’ programme.

Government ministries and public employment services representatives along with independent experts from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, Ireland, Norway and Spain heard how the programme supports young people with low education attainment, who are from disadvantaged areas or are disabled. The scheme offers subsidised work contracts in the profit and non-profit sectors. In addition to work experience, young people get access to training and counselling.  The scheme was launched in 2012 and it aims to get 150,000 young people to sign up by the end of 2014. By the end of 2013, 100,000 young people had already enrolled.

Delegates learned about Emplois d’Avenir’s innovative approach, offering intensive support to young people using a combination of work experience, training and counselling.  This targeted and individualised support is not being used in any other existing subsidised job schemes across Europe.

The discussions contribute to the policy debate on how to help young people re-enter the labour market. This is an important topic at national and EU level and links to the implementation of the Youth Guarantee.