What can the EU do to improve the situation of youth development in the EU

"The importance of Investing in Youth Education and Development to Strengthen the Cross Continental Cooperation"

The topic you have suggested for me today is “What can the EU do to improve the situation of youth development in the EU”. I have no doubt that this lies at the heart of most young people’s concern, all over the world. 

I understand and share young people’s concern, anxiety and also anger about individual future on job market and about the future of the European Union, more broadly. 

And very often young people rightly believe that political elites have no long term vision in launching projects and implementing reforms. 

And a founding father of EU, Alcide De Gasperi, speaking as Prime Minister of Italy before the Parliament, recalled already 60 years ago “Politicians look at the next elections, while statesmen look at the next generations!” 

This high message should be kept in mind now, more than ever!

Ladies and gentleman,

we are all aware of the severity of the current financial, economic and social crisis we are living today. Youth unemployment has a deep impact on individual, as well as on society and on the economy, with serious implication for future growth and social cohesion.

The EU leaders at the European Council Meeting on 27-28 June in Brussels endorsed a comprehensive plan to combat youth unemployment.

Young people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as the adult population. 

The latest figures show 7.5 million of unemployed Europeans under the age of 25 across the EU. That amounts to a youth unemployment rate of 23.5% for the EU. 

"Unemployment levels are alarmingly high, concealing many different realities and causes that often run deep. And we are under no illusions: the problem won't be solved overnight. But that is no reason for adopting a "mission impossible" mindset. A common resolve and immediate actions can make a difference. That's why, tonight, we took a number of decisions that can and will create jobs", said President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy after the European Council meeting.

I am deeply convinced that investing in young people is therefore a moral imperative and a social priority as our collective future depends on the creation of a high- skilled workforce to guarantee future dynamism and prosperity. Young people with their talents will help Europe to grow and become more competitive.

Thanks to the EU integration process, young Europeans have been increasingly enjoying in the past years freedom of circulation, no economic barriers, good education and training opportunities thank to ERASMUS project. These achievements, thanks to EU, cannot be forgotten or taken for granted.

But in recent times, EU has been on youth needs and opportunities, slower and weaker than it should have been.

What do we do for helping young people will determine the success of our effort to innovate our economies and be ahead of the curve in technological development 

Combating youth unemployment is a top priority, the EU level can make a difference but we must do much more.

The priority is to accelerate the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. The EU will help the Member States to fund the Youth Guarantee schemes through the use of EU structural funds.

The EU leaders agreed to make the Youth Employment Initiative fully operational by January 2014. This means that EUR 6 billion of the Youth Employment Initiative should be frontloaded and funds made available in 2014-2016 – during the first two years of the next MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework) rather than over the seven year period. 

Members States are called to adopt plans to prioritise youth employment measure in their national budgets and to present detailed implementations actions by October 2013, in line with their country specific situation and challenges. 

Leaders agreed to strengthen existing initiatives, such as “Your first EURES Job” and “Erasmus+” and further develop the EU Alliance for Apprenticeships and the coalition for digital employment. The launch of the Alliance, last July, will improve the quality and supply of apprenticeships and change the mind-sets towards work-based learning. The Alliance will bring together Member States, social partners, businesses, the Commission and other relevant actors to develop high quality apprenticeship-type training and excellence in work-based learning in vocational and educational training (VET).

Improving the ties between vocational education and the labour market will help to tackle high youth unemployment, whilst also contributing to better skill matching, social inclusion and economic competitiveness in the longer term. 

Furthermore the Commission will present in early 2014 the Quality Framework for Traineeship.

All these fast-acting measures will lead to real progress if all key actors are ready to work in partnership and it is even more essential the active involvement of social partners and relevant stakeholders.

These are ambitious measures to reach ambitious goals, in line with the size of the challenge.

Now we have to make those commitments a reality to show young people that they have a feasible bright future.

Italian Government approved on June 28th, 2013 some measure to stimulate the Italian Economy (the so called Action Decree- Decreto del Fare) and to tackle youth unemployment (the so called Employment Decree- Decreto Occupazione or Decreto Lavoro). 

The main measures provided by the “Decreto Occupazione” concern:

- incentives for the employment of young people 

- apprenticeships and traineeships 

- scholarships for professional traineeships in Southern Italy 

- measures for the “Youth Guarantee” 

- fixed term employment contracts 

- jobs on call 

- project work agreements 

- incentives to hire unemployed workers 

All in all, EU will be stronger only if it will be, and Member States will be, capable to invest in younger generations.

Education, research, open and competitive labour market, defending families and children’s rights: these are a precondition to grow.

Politicians and Institutions have to build a better future not only for those that can decide and vote now to appreciate their policies. 

They have to work for the next generations, for the new families and the babies and the children of today.

And, above all: never we must put the cost of delaying or diluting reforms or good policies on the shoulder of the next generations.

It would be a very dark society the one where fathers and grandfather’s rights go against children and grand children’s rights.

Or a society where, unlike what happened to my generation and my father generation, children look at the perspective to worsen rather than improve their prosperity and quality of life!

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