Foundation seminar series: Youth and work, 2007
The role of young people in Europe and youth employment and qualifications are high on the European agenda and the agendas of national governments. At European level, the importance of taking young people into consideration has been emphasised in recent years. In March 2005, the Commission published a communication on European policies concerning youth (COM (2006) 417 final) stating that 'the destiny of Europe increasingly depends on its ability to foster societies that are child and youth-friendly.'
Objectives of the seminar
The 2007 Foundation seminar aimed at studying the specific situation of young people against the background of macroeconomic and European trends and focusing on the following issues:
- Transition from school to work
- Health concerns
- Risk of social exclusion
The first session outlined the macroeconomic challenges and the European strategies on how to promote more and better work opportunities for the young, and how to keep them in employment.
The second session was dedicated to national policies and company actions. The Foundation's new film on youth and work voiced some of the experiences and opinions of young people related to labour market opportunities and work-life issues. Participants presented their national policies and country situations based on the assignments they had completed in between the sessions. Company representatives presented their actions and policies at company level.
The tripartite debate that followed showed once again the importance of exchange amongst actors and policy makers at national level when designing and implementing the best policies. Deepening the knowledge on the issue and the networking initiated in the process were both highly praised by all participants.
1st session, 6 - 8 June 2007, Dublin, Ireland
2nd session, 15 - 17 October 2007, Madrid, Spain
Video on youth and work, 10 minutes