Youth participation in Education, Employment and Society
Empowering young people and creating favourable conditions for them to develop their skills,
to work and to participate actively in society is essential for the sound economic and social development of the World, particularly in the context of globalisation, knowledgebased economies and ageing societies where it is crucial that every young person is given the possibility to fulfil his or her potential.
High rates of child poverty, poor health, school drop-out and unemployment among a too large number of young people, indicate a need to review the investments Europe is making in its youth starting earlier, also taking into account the essential role of families.
Social exclusion of young people carries high social and economic costs and needs to be prevented.
The challenges young people are facing today are complex and diverse. There are more opportunities to learn and participate but less established pathways. Maintaining growth and prosperity in Europe, whilst promoting social cohesion and sustainable development, depends on a full contribution and participation by all young people, all the more so since their number relative to the population as a whole is shrinking. Young people will have to bear the growing cost of an ageing population, which calls for an intergenerational response. EDUCATION Education is crucial for young people's transitions into the labour market and successful integration and participation in society. However, a significant number of young people leave education systems without having acquired the skills needed for a smooth transition into employment.
One in four young adults (ages 25-29) has not completed upper secondary education level. Surveys point to considerable deficiencies in pupils' mastery of basic literacy and numeracy skills, which constitute a serious obstacle to progression into vocational training or higher education, leaving them to face a precarious future in society and the modernlabour market. These are the major challenges - all the more pressing in a globalised and knowledge-based economy - which education systems must address if they are to meet the needs of today's young people.
YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) is a key concern for Europe: it stands at 17.4%. This constitutes a waste of human capital. Over the last 25 years, no real breakthrough has been achieved in reducing it despite a general rise in educational attainment.Young adults' unemployment often turns into long-term unemployment (over 50% of the unemployed aged 25-29) or inactivity.
Youth unemployment has long been regarded as a temporary phenomenon in the transition from education to the labour market. However, the causes of youth employment problems and the risks they entail have to be reconsidered in the changing demographic and economic context. Skills and education (or their lack) is one key explanation, but difficult transitions andlabour market segmentation are also parts of the problem.
High rates of youth inactivity (other than participation in education and training) are another phenomenon of failed labour market integration and typically coincide with overall high unemployment rates. Inactivity has negative repercussions on the readiness and economic capacity of young adults to raise families. Unemployment and inactivity of parents are strong risk factors for child poverty.
Young people need appropriate employment opportunities, but having had little or no way to show their capabilities, they suffer heavily from not being taken into jobs. They can be trapped in jobs with poor conditions or prospects. Such employment can serve as a stepping stone, helping young people to establish a track record of employment, but for some it can lead to a cycle of permanent low quality jobs.
VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES Here I will just mention term of Voluntarism… Voluntary activities provide a valuable non-formal learning experience, which enables young people to acquire skills and facilitate their transition from education to employment. Through volunteering, young people develop values such as mutual understanding, dialogue and solidarity. However, it must be pointed out that voluntary activities are not a substitute for paid employment.
Cross-sectoral cooperation between different authorities and appropriate legal frameworks are necessary29. Recognition of skills gained by young people in volunteering contributes to facilitating their transition from education to employment. Good practices exist but a more coherent approach is needed, building on the ongoing reflection launched at the World level
SOCIETY Young people's participation in education, employment and society is affected by poverty, socialmarginalisation, discrimination and poor health. We need tofind a genuine interest for both economic and social reasons to ensure that no child and young person is excluded.
Child poverty which affects 19% of all children and youngsters below 18 is a major preoccupation. Child well-being has been seen to have important effects on subsequent education and employment. Countries with high poverty risks for children and young people typically have high levels of unemployment. Breaking the inter-generational transmission of poverty is a key challenge, and policies should address the needs of both children and their parents in a comprehensive manner. More emphasis should be placed on pre-primary education and on the education of pupils living in disadvantaged areas.
COCLUSION in a context of aging societies, we need to convey a strong message for better, earlier and more investment in young people to promote their education, employment, social inclusion, health and active citizenship in a lifecycle approach. Investment should not merely be financial. Personal involvement is needed by relevant stakeholders, such as policy makers, labour and education institutions, enterprises, youth workers, researchers, families and organisations working for and with young people.
We need to substantially reduce youth unemployment andimprove the quality of jobs. All young people, and Europe as a whole, need to have the skillsand opportunities to work productively for economic and social well-being. Key to youngpeople's full participation is access to a good job which also requires qualitative and relevanteducation. Full participation of young people in society can however only be successful if young peopleare committed to work as partners towards objective of empowering young people and strengthen the existing partnership between the Institutions and the young generation.
High rates of child poverty, poor health, school drop-out and unemployment among a too large number of young people, indicate a need to review the investments Europe is making in its youth starting earlier, also taking into account the essential role of families.
Social exclusion of young people carries high social and economic costs and needs to be prevented.
The challenges young people are facing today are complex and diverse. There are more opportunities to learn and participate but less established pathways. Maintaining growth and prosperity in Europe, whilst promoting social cohesion and sustainable development, depends on a full contribution and participation by all young people, all the more so since their number relative to the population as a whole is shrinking. Young people will have to bear the growing cost of an ageing population, which calls for an intergenerational response. EDUCATION Education is crucial for young people's transitions into the labour market and successful integration and participation in society. However, a significant number of young people leave education systems without having acquired the skills needed for a smooth transition into employment.
One in four young adults (ages 25-29) has not completed upper secondary education level. Surveys point to considerable deficiencies in pupils' mastery of basic literacy and numeracy skills, which constitute a serious obstacle to progression into vocational training or higher education, leaving them to face a precarious future in society and the modernlabour market. These are the major challenges - all the more pressing in a globalised and knowledge-based economy - which education systems must address if they are to meet the needs of today's young people.
YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) is a key concern for Europe: it stands at 17.4%. This constitutes a waste of human capital. Over the last 25 years, no real breakthrough has been achieved in reducing it despite a general rise in educational attainment.Young adults' unemployment often turns into long-term unemployment (over 50% of the unemployed aged 25-29) or inactivity.
Youth unemployment has long been regarded as a temporary phenomenon in the transition from education to the labour market. However, the causes of youth employment problems and the risks they entail have to be reconsidered in the changing demographic and economic context. Skills and education (or their lack) is one key explanation, but difficult transitions andlabour market segmentation are also parts of the problem.
High rates of youth inactivity (other than participation in education and training) are another phenomenon of failed labour market integration and typically coincide with overall high unemployment rates. Inactivity has negative repercussions on the readiness and economic capacity of young adults to raise families. Unemployment and inactivity of parents are strong risk factors for child poverty.
Young people need appropriate employment opportunities, but having had little or no way to show their capabilities, they suffer heavily from not being taken into jobs. They can be trapped in jobs with poor conditions or prospects. Such employment can serve as a stepping stone, helping young people to establish a track record of employment, but for some it can lead to a cycle of permanent low quality jobs.
VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES Here I will just mention term of Voluntarism… Voluntary activities provide a valuable non-formal learning experience, which enables young people to acquire skills and facilitate their transition from education to employment. Through volunteering, young people develop values such as mutual understanding, dialogue and solidarity. However, it must be pointed out that voluntary activities are not a substitute for paid employment.
Cross-sectoral cooperation between different authorities and appropriate legal frameworks are necessary29. Recognition of skills gained by young people in volunteering contributes to facilitating their transition from education to employment. Good practices exist but a more coherent approach is needed, building on the ongoing reflection launched at the World level
SOCIETY Young people's participation in education, employment and society is affected by poverty, socialmarginalisation, discrimination and poor health. We need tofind a genuine interest for both economic and social reasons to ensure that no child and young person is excluded.
Child poverty which affects 19% of all children and youngsters below 18 is a major preoccupation. Child well-being has been seen to have important effects on subsequent education and employment. Countries with high poverty risks for children and young people typically have high levels of unemployment. Breaking the inter-generational transmission of poverty is a key challenge, and policies should address the needs of both children and their parents in a comprehensive manner. More emphasis should be placed on pre-primary education and on the education of pupils living in disadvantaged areas.
COCLUSION in a context of aging societies, we need to convey a strong message for better, earlier and more investment in young people to promote their education, employment, social inclusion, health and active citizenship in a lifecycle approach. Investment should not merely be financial. Personal involvement is needed by relevant stakeholders, such as policy makers, labour and education institutions, enterprises, youth workers, researchers, families and organisations working for and with young people.
We need to substantially reduce youth unemployment andimprove the quality of jobs. All young people, and Europe as a whole, need to have the skillsand opportunities to work productively for economic and social well-being. Key to youngpeople's full participation is access to a good job which also requires qualitative and relevanteducation. Full participation of young people in society can however only be successful if young peopleare committed to work as partners towards objective of empowering young people and strengthen the existing partnership between the Institutions and the young generation.