The European Commission issued a communication calling on member states to take measures on youth opportunities – including steps to prevent early school leaving; help young people to develop skills relevant to the labour market; ensure work experience and on-the-job training; and help young people find a first good job.
Source: Youth Opportunities Initiative, European Commission
Links: Communication | European Commission press release | ETUC press release
Date: 2011-Dec
A report examined the steps taken by European Union states to support youth integration into the labour market and to reduce unemployment among young people.
Source: Empowering the Young of Europe to Meet Labour Market Challenges: Findings from study visits 2009/10, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined how alcohol policies (and various sources providing information about alcohol's effects) affected risk perceptions about alcohol among adolescents in Europe. Most alcohol policies tested had no significant influence. The influence of media campaigns was only marginal.
Source: Till Boluarte, Elias Mossialos, and Caroline Rudisill, 'The impact of alcohol policies across Europe on young adults? perceptions of alcohol risks', CESifo Economic Studies, Volume 57 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the similarities and differences in the transition to adulthood in European countries. The considerable heterogeneity in institutional arrangements, cultural heritage, and economic life observed across contemporary European societies provided fertile ground for testing hypotheses of various macro-level theories and approaches addressing interactions between micro- and macro-level factors.
Source: Marlis Buchmann and Irene Kriesi, 'Transition to adulthood in Europe', Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 37
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A paper said that unemployment had different career implications in the United Kingdom compared with Germany. The strongly skill-based and 'rigid' labour market in Germany created a stigma attached to unemployment, and therefore might have negative consequences for re-entry into the labour market for all educational groups. In the UK, a 'trial and error' strategy at the beginning of an employment career in flexible labour markets was common and accepted.
Source: Paul Schmelzer, Unemployment and Occupational Mobility at the Beginning of Employment Career in Germany and the UK, Discussion Paper 25/2011, Institute for Employment Research (Federal Employment Agency, Nuremberg)
Links: Discussion paper
Date: 2011-Dec
A paper said that there was no link between youth unemployment rates in advanced economies and employment protection regimes.
Source: Clemens Noelke, The Consequences of Employment Protection Legislation for the Youth Labour Market, Working Paper 144, Mannheim Centre for European Social Research
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Dec
A report presented the preliminary results of research into the situation of young people in Europe, focusing specifically on those who were not in employment, education or training. It explored the economic and social consequences of their disengagement from the labour market and education.
Source: Young People and NEETs in Europe: First findings, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the role and agency of care-giving children, based on empirical findings in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Source: Anne Wihstutz, 'Working vulnerability: agency of caring children and children s rights', Childhood, Volume 18 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined inequality and opportunity for young people in Europe, including the areas of: schooling, employment, social exclusion, labour migration, trafficking, disability, cultural and religious discrimination, youth work, and opposition and resistance.
Source: Serdar Degirmencioglu (ed.), Some Still More Equal Than Others? Or Equal Opportunities for All?, Council of Europe Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined the effect of alcohol on adolescent violence using survey data from 30 European countries. Drinking had a strong effect on adolescent violence in Nordic and eastern European countries, but had little or no effect in Mediterranean countries.
Source: Richard Felson, Jukka Savolainen, Thoroddur Bjarnason, Amy Anderson, and Tusty Zohra, 'The cultural context of adolescent drinking and violence in 30 European countries', Criminology, Volume 49 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Aug
The European Union published a policy statement on youth employment. It said that increasing the labour market participation of young people was crucial to achieving the headline employment target of the Europe 2020 strategy, and to support smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth. It called on member states to consider reforms to improve the quality of education and training systems in order to reduce mismatches between skills and labour market needs; and to speed up the labour market transitions of young people by strengthening vocational education and training.
Source: Promoting Youth Employment to Achieve the Europe 2020 Objectives, European Union
Links: Statement
Date: 2011-Jun
The final report was published of a project to find out how more young people in Europe who had spent all or part of their childhood in state care could be encouraged and enabled to remain in education after the end of compulsory schooling and go on to study at higher levels. Around 8 per cent of young people who had been in care as children accessed higher education – about one-fifth of the percentage for young people overall. All five countries examined (including England) showed a remarkably similar pattern, despite marked differences in the organization of social care and child protection services, and very different education systems The child welfare/protection system needed to award education a more central and prioritized status in relation to care and transition processes for leaving care.
Source: Sonia Jackson and Claire Cameron, Young People from a Public Care Background: Pathways to Further and Higher Education in Five European Countries – Final report of the YiPPEE project WP12, Thomas Coram Research Unit (University of London)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jun
A background paper examined the employment situation for young people in the European Union member states.
Source: Youth and Work, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jun
A report examined the transition of young adults with disabilities from school to tertiary education and work in developed countries. Access to tertiary education had improved significantly over the previous decade: but it was still harder than it was for other young adults. Students with disabilities were also less likely than their non-disabled peers to successfully complete their studies, or to access employment.
Source: Education and Training Policy Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Tertiary Education and Employment, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
A report set out a framework for improving Europe's education and training systems for young people. It called for further investment in education and mobility, concrete measures to improve youth employment, and the involvement of young people in decision-making processes.
Source: Milan Zver, Youth on the Move: A framework for improving Europe's education and training systems, European Parliament
Links: Report | EYF press release
Date: 2011-May
Two papers examined and compared youth unemployment in Europe and the United States of America. Young people aged 16-24 had suffered disproportionately during the economic recession.
Source: David Bell and David Blanchflower, Youth Unemployment in Europe and the United States, Discussion Paper 5673, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn) | David Bell and David Blanchflower, Youth Unemployment in Europe and the United States, Discussion Paper 5674, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper 5673 | Paper 5674
Date: 2011-May
A report examined the situation of young workers in European labour markets. Although social partners had generally recognized the problems facing young workers, collective bargaining had not proved particularly useful (with some exceptions) in dealing with young workers' difficulties. Governments had been particularly active in promoting a range of labour market policies: of these, the promotion of apprenticeships seemed to have attracted widespread support across the European Union.
Source: Melanie Simms, Helping Young Workers During the Crisis: Contributions by social partners and public authorities, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Apr
A report presented the key findings from a review of literature and research on youth employment and social exclusion in Europe, and highlighted some successful approaches to addressing unemployment among excluded youth.
Source: Ian Goldring and Yamina Guidoum, Inclusion Through Employability: Youth work approaches to employment, SALTO Inclusion Resource Centre
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the impact of the Treaty of Lisbon in the field of youth, focusing on youth participation. It proposed the creation of a major programme to facilitate youth participation at all levels in the European Union, the introduction of civic education programmes in school curricula, and pilot projects aiming at enabling young people to participate in civic life.
Source: Paolo Ponzano, The Impact of the New Provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon on Youth, European Youth Forum
Links: Report | EYF press release
Date: 2011-Mar
The interim evaluation was published of the European Union 'Youth in Action' programme, aimed at building capacities through non-formal education. The programme was reaching its objectives: but there was room for improvement, especially in relation to the rationale of the programme.
Source: Andrew McCoshan et al., Youth in Action: Interim Evaluation – Final Report, European Commission
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the main challenges for the protection and promotion of youth rights in Europe.
Source: Mourad Mahidi, The Young and Rightless? The protection of youth rights in Europe, European Youth Forum
Links: Report | EYF press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined youth employment measures taken in European countries during 2010.
Source: Youth Employment Measures, 2010, European Employment Observatory
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Mar
The European Commission approved an action plan designed to help member states achieve the 2020 headline target of reducing the European Union average rate of early school leavers to under 10 per cent, from the existing level of 14.4 per cent.
Source: Tackling Early School Leaving: A key contribution to the Europe 2020 agenda, European Commission
Links: Action plan | Working paper | European Commission press release
Date: 2011-Jan
A report by a committee of the European Commission examined how member states' labour market policies intended to foster youth employment, concentrating in particular on anti-crisis measures. It looked at a number of criteria considered to represent potential difficulties for young people in the future, including: transitions from school to work, education attainment level, early school leavers, and skills matching.
Source: Ad Hoc Group, Policies to Support Youth, Employment Committee, European Commission
Links: Report | European Commission press release
Date: 2011-Jan
