Helping young Europeans: more education, training and job opportunities

The challenges faced by young people today, such as lack of job prospects, the rise in more precarious forms of employment and cuts in spending on education and training, negatively influence the social, economic and demographic situation in Europe. To tackle the problem, EPP Group MEPs Joanna Skrzydlewska and Georgios Papanikolaou are proposing concrete short and long-term measures, such as increasing and improving funding of education, innovation and youth entrepreneurship initiatives and raising the age limit for beneficiaries of the Youth Guarantee to 30.

“Actions aimed at creating new and maintaining existing jobs must be a priority. Ensuring that young people have better employment prospects is crucial because by investing in the future of young people we are investing in the future of Europe," said Joanna Skrzydlewska, after a vote on the proposals.

“Europe has so far been tackling the unprecedented challenges the young generation is facing without any success – despite all its efforts - in reversing the situation. A decisive strategy for youth is the way forward. If our youth do not see a positive future for themselves, Europe cannot have a vision for its own future. This is a great oppportunity to finally have one,” underlined Giorgos Papanikolaou.

The focus of the reports adopted is to stimulate general economic recovery and to propose employment policy reform. On this basis, the report by Giorgos Papanikolaou includes the creation of safety nets for new companies established by young people, expansion of the recently launched 'Youth Guarantee' programme and encouraging youth entrepreneurship by support for start-ups.

Joanna Skrzydlewska proposes to improve the visibility of and accessibility to the European Job Mobility Portal (EURES), so as to improve job redistribution within the EU and to modernise the education system, so that young people's qualifications match demand on the labour market. She also underlines the importance of self-employment among young people and a need for incentives (such as tax exemptions), to encourage them to start their own businesses.

Today, nearly 6 million Europeans under 25 are unemployed, equivalent to 23% - twice as high as the overall unemployment rate in the EU. EU studies show that when youth unemployment levels rise, poverty, illness and crime rates increase too. Therefore the EPP Group stresses that the proposed measures should be implemented immediately to stop the escalation of the problem.