Improving labour market integration of young people: key learnings
On 19 December 2024, the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform held a webinar on improving labour market integration of young people.
The Thematic Experts and speakers looked at various strategies to help young people define career goals, secure their first job, experience different work environments, understand professional norms, and explore entrepreneurship.
Webinar agenda
Navigate the agenda below to the topic of your interest., The webinar has been designed and moderated by Erik Gloersen and Mart Veliste, Thematic Experts for a more Social Europe.
00:01:10: Introduction to the topic by Erik Gloersen and Mart Veliste
00:08:04: keynote speech by Gustavs Upmanis on digital and interactive methods to integrate young people into the labour market
00:32:27: Q&A on the relations with public authorities and possible strategic partnerships to enhance youth employment policies
00:36:56: Q&A on the project dimension, what was the necessary feature to employ a large number of young people?
00:39:30: Presentation by Simona Knavs on the Vocational Maturity Tool
00:49:09: Input by Regina Lamscheck-Nielsen on the added value of the maturity tool
00:55:25: Q&A on the tool 'self-evaluation in dialogue' and the importance of this tool in speeding up the process
01:01:40: Presentation by Tjaša Perković on the micro-loans for young farmers
01:19:07: Q&A on similar tools impemented for other sectors
01:19:50: Q&A on the cases in which the projects are bein mismanaged and the insolvency of the farmers
01:24:15: Q&A on the complementarity of the different tools, to make them more effective for young people
01:28:26: Key takeaways from the speakers
Key learnings
Digital tools are an asset in working on youth employment. The webinar showcased their usefulness in various capacities: to match young people and employers more effectively, as self-assessment tools that eases the work of counsellors or as platforms that simplify access to microcredit.
Programmes seeking to improve young people’s employability get multiple benefits when they go digital. Digital approaches allow access to global expertise, ease marketing, provide support for more individuals at once, lower the cost per person, offer more flexible timelines and so on. However, poorly set up digital events lose the attention of participants very quickly – online formats do not work if they are not engaging. To maximise impact, it is crucial to invest in capacity-building for the development of engaging and effective digital formats tailored to labour market integration.
Speed-dating sessions between employers and prospective employees yield the best results when prior matching is conducted, and the thematic focus is clearly defined. This ensures more productive interactions and targeted outcomes.
NEETs and other young people often need tailored support and learning processes. This frequently entails assessing their 'vocational maturity'—the ability to explore career options, make informed decisions, and pursue professional goals. Tools designed to structure meaningful dialogues between professionals and young people on these aspects are available and have been successfully implemented in countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Slovenia.
Another route to support young people entry to the labour market is to help them become entrepreneurs themselves. One of the biggest challenges for young entrepreneurs is access to finance. Microcredits is a great tool to overcome market gaps in business financing. However, for such instruments to be successful they need to have simple and fast application procedures. Proactive support by the financier in assisting potential applicants to prepare their project proposals can also go a long way in increasing the overall quality of projects and in turn the success rate of them (ergo successful payback of the loans). Workshops and one-to-one advisory services not only boost loan repayment success but also enhance young entrepreneurs’ financial management and planning skills.