Today, as the United Nations celebrate World Youth Skills Day, Eurodiaconia stresses the importance of promoting youth education, employment, and inclusion.
In these turbulent times, marked by climate change, the war in Ukraine, and the cost of living crisis, equal opportunities for the youth need to be a priority. Therefore, Eurodiaconia sheds light on two crucial aspects linked to the promotion of youth skills: youth employment and youth inclusion.
Youth skills
To promote inclusive societies, we need to act upon the state of play of youth skills, the opportunities they withhold, and the challenges faced by Europe’s youth today. Even though the European Union has strengthened the Youth Guarantee in 2020 and called for the European Year of Youth in 2022, many challenges remain: The education systems must become more inclusive; access to high-quality education, afterschool, and school-related services is key for social inclusion and employment opportunities. Furthermore, young people must be better supported in transitional periods, especially those from disadvantaged groups. Eurodiaconia members’ experience shows that prevention and early support systems in periods like school-to-job and job-to-job transitions are crucial to prevent dropouts and unemployment. Lastly, more participatory approaches are needed to really ensure and implement youth inclusion on a local, national, and European level.
Youth employment
In 2023, 11.2% of young people in the European Union were NEETs1 (young people aged 15-29 neither in employment, education, or training). The numbers differ severely between member states. While the rate of NEETs is very high in Romania (19.3%), the Netherlands has the lowest rate in the EU with only 4.8% of youth not in education, employment, or training. In every single country, the share of female NEET is higher than the share of male NEETs. Additionally, young people who are in employment are often faced with precarious contracts and working conditions. 9.1% of people between 16 and 29 are at risk of poverty despite having a job (compared to 8.3% of all workers)2. Especially young people in Romania (20%), Bulgaria (13.9%), Luxembourg (13.9%), and Estonia (13.5%) are affected.
Eurodiaconia’s members have developed and implemented support structures for the diverse employment needs and challenges of young workers all over Europe.
For example, our member Lathi Diaconia Foundation from Finland has established the Stoori program for people under the age of 29 and encourages them to actively get to know the social sector. Young people can get enrolled in volunteering opportunities, internships, and work trials over several months to become more familiar with the education, social work, and healthcare sectors. During and after the enrollment of the program, the participants receive coaching to develop their next step towards employment. Many of the participants then decide to get enrolled in education to work in the social sector.
For more than 20 years, Diakonie Kososva has run a training center to support young people in Mitrovica, the poorest city of the country with more than 50% of the youth being unemployed. Here, young men and women can get trained in various different jobs: from water and heating installation, to tailoring and cooking. Thanks to the great variety of trainings, young people have the opportunity to choose a profession that fits their interest and skills.
Youth inclusion
Various skills are needed to promote inclusive democracies and societies. This year’s Youth Skills Day is built upon the slogan “Youth Skills for Peace and Sustainable Development”. Young people play an important role in shaping a sustainable future and the Europe of tomorrow but need to be equipped with a variety of skills. Often, this upskilling and education begins at the local and regional level with youth inclusion programs that encourage young people to shape the landscape, and sometimes policies, of their own city. This is also our member’s approach: Östergötlands Stadsmission in Norrköping, Sweden, started the project “Trygga Orten”. It strives to empower young people between 16 and 25 years to create a clean and safe neighborhood and learn new skills. The goal is to engage 700 young people in different activities, ranging from cleaning litter off the streets, supporting them with their homework, and improving their skills in the “Leadership Academy” where they can learn about leadership, ecological sustainability, and project management. This approach was chosen to foster youth inclusion in local development and promote sustainability in its different senses: ecological, financial, and social sustainability.
Closing remarks
As the EU embarks on a new legislative term, investing in the education, employment, and skills of Europe’s youth is more than a moral imperative, it is a strategic necessity. Empowering and supporting young people with the skills they need is crucial to create equal opportunities for all and build a resilient, innovative, and sustainable Europe.
If you are interested to learn more about our members’ work, please find our report “Eurodiaconia & the European Year of Youth” here and reach out to our Policy and Membership Development Officer Annika Sparrer (annika.sparrer@eurodiaconia.org)