In the flagship initiative Youth on the Move, the Commission has set out how the EU can reach the EU 2020 targets through action in three areas both at national and European level:
- Improving education and training systems at all levels
- Stronger policy efforts for improving youth employment
- More EU youth mobility for learning purposes and on the labour markets
For each of these areas, Youth on the Move has a rich agenda ranging from concrete recommendations addressed at Member States, new legislative initiatives and direct support to better information tools for young people and stronger involvement of the business sector.
Education
Reducing Early School leaving
More than six million young people in the EU leave education and training with lower secondary level qualifications at best. They face severe difficulties in finding work, are more often unemployed and more often dependent on welfare benefits.
The Commission approved an action plan that will help Member States to achieve the Europe 2020 headline target of reducing the EU average rate of early school leavers to under 10%, from the current level of 14.4%, by the end of the decade.
Employment
Youth @ Work
Youth@Work will build contacts between young people and small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) to encourage demand among SME employers for young people and, in turn, to promote working in SMEs to young people.
The action will work in close cooperation with the EURES network of employment advisors and the national public employment services, which exist in each Member State.
Systematic Monitoring of the situation of young people not in employment, education or training
The Employment Committee agreed in April 2010 on a definition for youth neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET)
Mutual Learning Programme for European Public Employment Services (PES)
'PES to PES Dialogue' is the European Commission’s mutual learning support programme for public employment services (PESs) in the European Union. It aims to contribute to the implementation of the priorities of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Employment Guidelines by helping to increase the capacity and effectiveness of PESs.
Youth Employment situation
Overview of recent employment policy measures specifically targeting young people
Statistical overview - Recent developments in the EU-27 labour market for young people aged 15-29
European Employment Observatory Review - Youth employment measures - 2010
Employment in Europe 2010 - The Report examines the need to reduce segmentation in labour markets and improve the job situation of young people.
Mobility
European Vacancy Monitor
The purpose of the European Vacancy Monitor is to show young people and employment advisers where the jobs are in Europe and which skills are needed.
Promoting the learning mobility of young people
The draft Council Recommendation on promoting the learning mobility of young people (2010), addresses obstacles to learning mobility at national, European and international level.
This builds on the feedback from the 2009 public consultation on the Green Paper ‘Promoting the learning mobility of young people’.
Through regular monitoring, a ‘Mobility Scoreboard’ will benchmark and measure progress in removing these obstacles in the Member States.
Guidance on European Court of Justice rulings on the rights of students
This covers issues such as access, recognition and portability of grants. Read more
EU Funding
European Progress Micro-finance Facility
The European Progress Micro-finance Facility aims at creating jobs and fighting exclusion by increasing access to, and availability of, microfinance for vulnerable groups (among which unemployed and/or disadvantaged youth) and micro-enterprises, especially those in the social economy.
In many Member States young self-employed or micro-entrepreneurs, who seek funding under the Micro-finance Facility, will also benefit from guidance and coaching with the support of the ESF.
Information Campaign
The European Commission launched an information campaign to support the Youth on the Move initiative. The campaign actively involves national and regional authorities and the business sector.