The European Social Fund : keeping young people in education; helping young people into work.
Date: 2011-10-24
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Subjects: EU employment policy, European Employment Strategy, European Social Fund, fight against unemployment, integration into employment

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A good start in life

Conclusion

In rural West Wales, UK, the ESF granted €4.5 million to 

The economic crisis has left young people in a worse 

a project that steps in early to assist young people most 

situation than they were when the ESF programmes for 

at risk of school drop-out and becoming ‘NEET’. Teachers 

2007-2013 were designed. This means that the fund’s 

and youth leaders co-operate to oﬀ er guidance and 

activities are being developed and adapted to the new 

emotional intelligence support to 11-13 year olds. The 

circumstances. The European Commission has pledged 

project has helped over 7 000 young people. 

to carry out a stock-taking of current ESF measures, and 

9.  Young entrepreneurs 

then work with EU countries to identify the key target 

measures and policy actions which should urgently 

Young people with enterprising ideas of their own are 

receive ESF support. This will be done through the ESF 

one of the target groups of the EU’s Microﬁ nance Facility, 

reporting system, and overall monitoring of the ‘Europe 

launched in 2010. The current crisis makes it more dif-

2020’ strategy.

One thing is clear: that without the European Social 

Fund, millions of young people would be worse oﬀ  and 

EU targets agreed as part of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy 

for restoring growth and creating more and better jobs 

would be much harder – if not impossible – to realise. 

The ESF is making a crucial contribution to meeting 

these important policy objectives the ESF’s approach of 

investing in people wherever they are in Europe. And 

it shows that more and more EU citizens are getting to 

hear about the work of the ESF.  

ﬁ cult for them to secure investment from commercial 

banks. With an initial budget of €100 million, the fund 

oﬀ ers loans of up to €25 000 to small start-ups, usually 

backed up by ESF co-funded business skills training. 

Between 2007 and 2009, 3.6 million young people have 

already participated in ESF co-funded activities promot-

ing adaptability and entrepreneurship.

Best of the bunch

The annual Estonian business competition ‘Ajujaht’ (Brain 

Hunt), co-ﬁ nanced by the ESF, encourages ambitious 

young entrepreneurs to submit their original ideas online 

to a panel of business experts. The 20 best young innova-

tors are oﬀ ered a three-month training course, cover-

ing all the topics they need, and help from a mentor in 

preparing a business plan. Besides sharing a prize fund of 

€64 000, the winners also have access to a one-year sup-

port programme to help them implement their plan.

For further information: 

European Social Fund: http://ec.europa.eu/esf/

Youth on the Move: http://europa.eu/youthonthemove 

Youth unemployment (15-24) in the EU-27: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/

refreshTableAction.do?tab=table&plugin=1&pcode=teilm021&language=en

ESF participants by age: http://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=66&langId=en

   For more information:

Information service of DG Employment, Social Aﬀ airs & Inclusion

doi:10.2767/2234

Communication Unit

B-1049 Brussels

Fax.: +32 2 296 23 93

E-mail: esf@ec.europa.eu

http://ec.europa.eu/esf

The European Social Fund: 
keeping young people in education; 
helping young people into work
The recent economic crisis in Europe has hit young people hard, reversing 
earlier progress in employment rates and putting at risk the services that 
existed to support them. The ESF is stepping in to help young people get 
good qualiﬁ cations and ﬁ nd work, so as to reach the targets of the EU’s 
‘Europe 2020’ strategy for jobs and growth.

The challenges facing young people  
Youth unemployment is a cause for concern across 
Europe. The rate has increased by some six percentage 
points since 2008: from 14.7%, to 20.4% in early 2011. At 
the same time, many young people are failing to fulﬁ l 
their educational potential or obtain the skills employers 
need.

That is why the EU has made young people a priority in 
its ‘Europe 2020’ strategy. The European Commission’s ini-
tiative entitled ‘Youth on the Move’ will promote lifelong 
learning, study mobility in the EU, and take-up of higher 
education, and help young people make the often dif-
ﬁ cult transition into work.

The European Social Fund (ESF) plays a crucial role in 
supporting these policies. It already provides signiﬁ cant 
help to young people, as the EU’s main ﬁ nancial tool for 
boosting youth employment, entrepreneurship and the 
learning mobility of young workers, preventing school 
drop-out and raising skill levels. Young people make 
up a quarter of the 10 million individual beneﬁ ciaries 
each year. The ESF also contributes to the reform of 
Member States’ education and training systems and to 
lifelong learning.

Young people in the EU 

•   People under 30 make up one-ﬁ fth of the EU’s popula-
tion, and their contribution is crucial to the economy 
and society.

•   There are 5 million young people (under 25) without 
work in the EU: that’s 1 million more than in 2009.

•   Unemployment is more than twice as high among 
young people (20.4%) than the workforce generally 
(9.6%). In some countries, 
it rises to 30-40%.

•   40% of young workers are employed on temporary 
contracts (2009), making their jobs more insecure.

•   12.4% of 15 to 24-year-olds are neither in employment 
nor education or training (NEET), with a higher rate 
among young women than young men.

•   One in seven young people drops out of secondary 
education, and one in four has poor reading ability. 
Less than one in three young Europeans has a uni-
versity degree, compared with, for example, 50% of 
Japanese.

(cid:37)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:80)(cid:69)(cid:65)(cid:78)(cid:0)(cid:35)(cid:79)(cid:77)(cid:77)(cid:73)(cid:83)(cid:83)(cid:73)(cid:79)(cid:78)

EMP-11-006_YoungPeople_EN2.indd   4-1

13/07/11   10:56

2

3

Young people are key to recovery
The EU has an ageing population. If Member States are 
to maintain sustainable growth and advance as increas-
ingly innovative and competitive economies, it is vital for 
young people to develop their creative and employment 
potential more eﬀ ectively in future.

One of the ﬁ ve main goals in the ‘Europe 2020’ growth 
strategy is to reduce the proportion of early school leav-
ers to less than 10%, and raise the ratio of young people 
completing higher education to 40%.

‘Youth on the Move’ aims to improve young people’s 
education and employability and to increase the youth 
employment rate – in line with the wider EU target of a 
75% employment rate for the working-age population – 
by 2020, through:

•   making education and training more relevant to 

young people’s needs;

•   enabling more of them to take advantage of EU grants 

to study or train in another country;

•   encouraging EU countries to make it easier for young 
people to achieve a successful transition from educa-
tion to work.

Complementing ‘Youth on the Move’ is the ‘Agenda for 
New Skills and Jobs’, designed to create new employ-
ment opportunities and ensure Europeans have the 
ability to take 
them up. 

How the ESF supports young people
EU countries select their own priorities for ESF in-
vestment, in line with national needs, embodied in 
Operational Programmes (OPs) and implemented 
through projects. In 2007-2013, all countries are address-
ing young people, who are covered in 91% of the OPs, 
accounting for 68% of the budget. Between 2007 and 
2009, 5.8 million young people have beneﬁ ted from the 
ESF through training or mentoring.

Fields of action

 Keeping youngsters in education
1. 
The crisis has had an impact on all groups of young 
people, regardless of their skills or education levels. 
Nonetheless, unemployment is highest among low-
skilled youngsters, while those with better qualiﬁ cations 
stand a greater chance of getting work. The ESF supports 
EU countries in combating early school leaving and giv-
ing young people a sound start in life.

A second chance
Dropping out of school without a diploma leaves 
youngsters at a disadvantage that often lasts the rest of 
their lives. In the Languedoc Roussillon region of France, 
this applies to 6% of school-leavers, one-third of whom 
suﬀ er problems reading and writing. The ESF contrib-
utes half of the € 3 million budget for the region’s nine 
‘Second Chance Schools’, which use innovative teaching 
methods to increase pupils’ knowledge, social skills and 
motivation.

2.  Transition from school to work
Young people face a bewildering range of career options. 
They need clear information so as to make informed 
choices, and support in gaining the experience employ-
ers demand. The ESF backs projects that ease the way 
into employment through, for example, personal advice, 
additional training, and work placements. Between 2007 
and 2009, 2.7 million young people have beneﬁ ted from 
ESF support in entering the labour market.

Pathway to integration
In Aragon, Spain, the ESF worked with the regional em-
ployment oﬃ  ce, employers and trade unions to provide 
tailored training for unqualiﬁ ed youngsters, giving them 
the skills local companies were seeking. Overall, some 
9 000 young unemployed people entered the labour 
market thanks to the regional OP. 

3.  Breaking down barriers
Gender equality is a fundamental principle of the EU. 
Meeting the 75% employment rate target will mean 
more women entering the labour market. 
The ESF helps to increase young women’s employability, 
co-funding measures such as childcare and ﬂ exible work-
ing to make it easier to combine a job and family life, and 
to counter gender stereotypes.

Equal opportunities
Girl’s Day 2011 in Germany oﬀ ered more than 100,000 
teenage girls the opportunity to visit hi-tech companies 
and research organisations and ﬁ nd out more about 
science and technology-based jobs. With ESF support, 
‘Girl’s Day, Girl’s Future’ events encourage young women 
to enter male-dominated professions where Europe 
needs fresh talent. Its success has inspired a parallel Boy’s 
Day, when teenage boys can get experience of caring 
professions such as nursing and social work. The scheme 
is spreading to other countries like the Netherlands, 
Belgium and Spain.

4.  Developing human capital

opportunities for their creative expression and enabling 

A third of the ESF’s 2007-2013 budget goes to projects 

them to fulﬁ l their potential in society.

to ‘improve human capital’ and equip people better for 

work and life, especially in less prosperous regions of the 

Learning made fun

EU. They aim not only to improve the quality and avail-

The ESF is supporting measures to expand out-of-school 

ability of education and training to help people get jobs, 

learning in Bulgaria, and provide student scholarships 

but also to support training as a lifelong process.

and loans to facilitate access to higher education. These 

Rising above recession

include developing clubs oﬀ ering drama, arts, music, 

singing and debating activities, and competitions at all 

The economic crisis led to dramatic cuts in job opportu-

levels. Attracting children from ethnic minority groups 

nities in Ireland, hitting young people hard. Around the 

and underprivileged social backgrounds is a priority. 

country, Youthreach programmes receive ESF co-funding 

Currently, one-ﬁ fth of Roma people lack even basic 

of €36.7 million, to support unqualiﬁ ed and unemployed 

education, and this is a major obstacle to their economic 

school leavers aged 15 and over. Youthreach helps to 

and social progress. 

boost their self-esteem and personal autonomy, and to 

At least 8 000 students are expected to have beneﬁ ted 

open the door to training or jobs. In 2010, 924 young-

from scholarships by 2013.

sters completed the programme and 67% went on to 

further learning or work.

7.  Mobility

5.  Modernising education and 

strengthening vocational training

European workers will need to be increasingly mobile 

and adaptable in future. A recent survey  showed that 

53% of young Europeans are ready to work in another EU 

Reforming education and training systems is an ESF 

country. The ESF supports outplacement, apprenticeship 

priority. The fund backs measures to update school 

and worker mobility schemes that enable young people 

and higher education curricula and vocational training 

to move across regions, or to other countries in Europe, 

programmes, so that young people emerge with the 

where jobs may be more plentiful or their qualiﬁ cations 

qualiﬁ cations and experience they need to get a job in 

in demand, and where they can expand their knowledge 

a modern, knowledge-based economy. This also means 

and experience.

developing the skills of educators and trainers and 

equipping them to deal with new learning techniques.  

Feeling at home 

Between 2007 and 2009, 4.1 million young people have 

In Eastern Finland, maintaining a supply of skilled labour 

taken part in ESF co-funded projects on education and 

in the future is a major concern. ESF co-funded pro-

lifelong learning.

Bringing schools up to date

jects are enabling young workers from neighbouring 

countries to immigrate and helping them to integrate 

in Finnish working life and society. Speciﬁ c initiatives 

In Prague, in the Czech Republic, the ESF is backing 

involve guidance and training schemes, which may start 

a programme for the modernisation of education in 

in the individual’s country of origin before departure 

secondary and tertiary professional schools. Activities are 

and continue in Finland. The aim is to oﬀ er people the 

aimed at adapting curricula to the needs of the labour 

language and professional skills they need for a new life 

market, oﬀ ering school leavers transferable skills and op-

in a foreign culture.

portunities for distance learning; helping to prevent early 

school leaving; professional advice on moving into work, 

8.  Social inclusion

and afternoon/evening educational programmes for stu-

The ESF supports EU policy in combating poverty among 

dents. The scheme helps teachers to develop new ways 

young people and promoting integration of youngsters 

of working, especially using information technologies.

from vulnerable groups. It helps socially disadvantaged 

6.  Better access to education

young people to enter the labour market and become 

fully involved in society, for example through improving 

Education is a right for all young people, whatever their 

language skills and oﬀ ering personal guidance.  Between 

social standing or ethnic origin. ESF activities encourage 

2007 and 2009, 2.8 million young people have been 

children and adolescents of all ages and backgrounds 

involved in ESF co-funded projects to combat social 

to participate fully in the educational system, improving 

exclusion.

EMP-11-006_YoungPeople_EN2.indd   2-3

13/07/11   10:56

2

3

Young people are key to recovery

A second chance

The EU has an ageing population. If Member States are 

Dropping out of school without a diploma leaves 

to maintain sustainable growth and advance as increas-

youngsters at a disadvantage that often lasts the rest of 

ingly innovative and competitive economies, it is vital for 

their lives. In the Languedoc Roussillon region of France, 

young people to develop their creative and employment 

this applies to 6% of school-leavers, one-third of whom 

potential more eﬀ ectively in future.

One of the ﬁ ve main goals in the ‘Europe 2020’ growth 

strategy is to reduce the proportion of early school leav-

ers to less than 10%, and raise the ratio of young people 

completing higher education to 40%.

suﬀ er problems reading and writing. The ESF contrib-

utes half of the € 3 million budget for the region’s nine 

‘Second Chance Schools’, which use innovative teaching 

methods to increase pupils’ knowledge, social skills and 

motivation.

‘Youth on the Move’ aims to improve young people’s 

2.  Transition from school to work

education and employability and to increase the youth 

Young people face a bewildering range of career options. 

employment rate – in line with the wider EU target of a 

They need clear information so as to make informed 

75% employment rate for the working-age population – 

choices, and support in gaining the experience employ-

by 2020, through:

•   making education and training more relevant to 

young people’s needs;

ers demand. The ESF backs projects that ease the way 

into employment through, for example, personal advice, 

additional training, and work placements. Between 2007 

and 2009, 2.7 million young people have beneﬁ ted from 

•   enabling more of them to take advantage of EU grants 

ESF support in entering the labour market.

to study or train in another country;

•   encouraging EU countries to make it easier for young 

people to achieve a successful transition from educa-

tion to work.

Pathway to integration

In Aragon, Spain, the ESF worked with the regional em-

ployment oﬃ  ce, employers and trade unions to provide 

tailored training for unqualiﬁ ed youngsters, giving them 

Complementing ‘Youth on the Move’ is the ‘Agenda for 

the skills local companies were seeking. Overall, some 

New Skills and Jobs’, designed to create new employ-

9 000 young unemployed people entered the labour 

ment opportunities and ensure Europeans have the 

market thanks to the regional OP. 

ability to take 

them up. 

How the ESF supports young people

EU countries select their own priorities for ESF in-

vestment, in line with national needs, embodied in 

Operational Programmes (OPs) and implemented 

through projects. In 2007-2013, all countries are address-

ing young people, who are covered in 91% of the OPs, 

accounting for 68% of the budget. Between 2007 and 

2009, 5.8 million young people have beneﬁ ted from the 

ESF through training or mentoring.

Fields of action

1. 

 Keeping youngsters in education

The crisis has had an impact on all groups of young 

people, regardless of their skills or education levels. 

Nonetheless, unemployment is highest among low-

skilled youngsters, while those with better qualiﬁ cations 

stand a greater chance of getting work. The ESF supports 

EU countries in combating early school leaving and giv-

ing young people a sound start in life.

3.  Breaking down barriers

Gender equality is a fundamental principle of the EU. 

Meeting the 75% employment rate target will mean 

more women entering the labour market. 

The ESF helps to increase young women’s employability, 

co-funding measures such as childcare and ﬂ exible work-

ing to make it easier to combine a job and family life, and 

to counter gender stereotypes.

Equal opportunities

Girl’s Day 2011 in Germany oﬀ ered more than 100,000 

teenage girls the opportunity to visit hi-tech companies 

and research organisations and ﬁ nd out more about 

science and technology-based jobs. With ESF support, 

‘Girl’s Day, Girl’s Future’ events encourage young women 

to enter male-dominated professions where Europe 

needs fresh talent. Its success has inspired a parallel Boy’s 

Day, when teenage boys can get experience of caring 

professions such as nursing and social work. The scheme 

is spreading to other countries like the Netherlands, 

Belgium and Spain.

4.  Developing human capital
A third of the ESF’s 2007-2013 budget goes to projects 
to ‘improve human capital’ and equip people better for 
work and life, especially in less prosperous regions of the 
EU. They aim not only to improve the quality and avail-
ability of education and training to help people get jobs, 
but also to support training as a lifelong process.

Rising above recession
The economic crisis led to dramatic cuts in job opportu-
nities in Ireland, hitting young people hard. Around the 
country, Youthreach programmes receive ESF co-funding 
of €36.7 million, to support unqualiﬁ ed and unemployed 
school leavers aged 15 and over. Youthreach helps to 
boost their self-esteem and personal autonomy, and to 
open the door to training or jobs. In 2010, 924 young-
sters completed the programme and 67% went on to 
further learning or work.

5.  Modernising education and 
strengthening vocational training
Reforming education and training systems is an ESF 
priority. The fund backs measures to update school 
and higher education curricula and vocational training 
programmes, so that young people emerge with the 
qualiﬁ cations and experience they need to get a job in 
a modern, knowledge-based economy. This also means 
developing the skills of educators and trainers and 
equipping them to deal with new learning techniques.  
Between 2007 and 2009, 4.1 million young people have 
taken part in ESF co-funded projects on education and 
lifelong learning.

Bringing schools up to date
In Prague, in the Czech Republic, the ESF is backing 
a programme for the modernisation of education in 
secondary and tertiary professional schools. Activities are 
aimed at adapting curricula to the needs of the labour 
market, oﬀ ering school leavers transferable skills and op-
portunities for distance learning; helping to prevent early 
school leaving; professional advice on moving into work, 
and afternoon/evening educational programmes for stu-
dents. The scheme helps teachers to develop new ways 
of working, especially using information technologies.

6.  Better access to education
Education is a right for all young people, whatever their 
social standing or ethnic origin. ESF activities encourage 
children and adolescents of all ages and backgrounds 
to participate fully in the educational system, improving 

opportunities for their creative expression and enabling 
them to fulﬁ l their potential in society.

Learning made fun
The ESF is supporting measures to expand out-of-school 
learning in Bulgaria, and provide student scholarships 
and loans to facilitate access to higher education. These 
include developing clubs oﬀ ering drama, arts, music, 
singing and debating activities, and competitions at all 
levels. Attracting children from ethnic minority groups 
and underprivileged social backgrounds is a priority. 
Currently, one-ﬁ fth of Roma people lack even basic 
education, and this is a major obstacle to their economic 
and social progress. 
At least 8 000 students are expected to have beneﬁ ted 
from scholarships by 2013.

7.  Mobility
European workers will need to be increasingly mobile 
and adaptable in future. A recent survey  showed that 
53% of young Europeans are ready to work in another EU 
country. The ESF supports outplacement, apprenticeship 
and worker mobility schemes that enable young people 
to move across regions, or to other countries in Europe, 
where jobs may be more plentiful or their qualiﬁ cations 
in demand, and where they can expand their knowledge 
and experience.

Feeling at home 
In Eastern Finland, maintaining a supply of skilled labour 
in the future is a major concern. ESF co-funded pro-
jects are enabling young workers from neighbouring 
countries to immigrate and helping them to integrate 
in Finnish working life and society. Speciﬁ c initiatives 
involve guidance and training schemes, which may start 
in the individual’s country of origin before departure 
and continue in Finland. The aim is to oﬀ er people the 
language and professional skills they need for a new life 
in a foreign culture.

8.  Social inclusion
The ESF supports EU policy in combating poverty among 
young people and promoting integration of youngsters 
from vulnerable groups. It helps socially disadvantaged 
young people to enter the labour market and become 
fully involved in society, for example through improving 
language skills and oﬀ ering personal guidance.  Between 
2007 and 2009, 2.8 million young people have been 
involved in ESF co-funded projects to combat social 
exclusion.

EMP-11-006_YoungPeople_EN2.indd   2-3

13/07/11   10:56

4

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-
C

Conclusion
The economic crisis has left young people in a worse 
situation than they were when the ESF programmes for 
2007-2013 were designed. This means that the fund’s 
activities are being developed and adapted to the new 
circumstances. The European Commission has pledged 
to carry out a stock-taking of current ESF measures, and 
then work with EU countries to identify the key target 
measures and policy actions which should urgently 
receive ESF support. This will be done through the ESF 
reporting system, and overall monitoring of the ‘Europe 
2020’ strategy.

One thing is clear: that without the European Social 
Fund, millions of young people would be worse oﬀ  and 
EU targets agreed as part of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy 
for restoring growth and creating more and better jobs 
would be much harder – if not impossible – to realise. 
The ESF is making a crucial contribution to meeting 
these important policy objectives the ESF’s approach of 
investing in people wherever they are in Europe. And 
it shows that more and more EU citizens are getting to 
hear about the work of the ESF.  

A good start in life
In rural West Wales, UK, the ESF granted €4.5 million to 
a project that steps in early to assist young people most 
at risk of school drop-out and becoming ‘NEET’. Teachers 
and youth leaders co-operate to oﬀ er guidance and 
emotional intelligence support to 11-13 year olds. The 
project has helped over 7 000 young people. 

9.  Young entrepreneurs 
Young people with enterprising ideas of their own are 
one of the target groups of the EU’s Microﬁ nance Facility, 
launched in 2010. The current crisis makes it more dif-
ﬁ cult for them to secure investment from commercial 
banks. With an initial budget of €100 million, the fund 
oﬀ ers loans of up to €25 000 to small start-ups, usually 
backed up by ESF co-funded business skills training. 
Between 2007 and 2009, 3.6 million young people have 
already participated in ESF co-funded activities promot-
ing adaptability and entrepreneurship.

Best of the bunch
The annual Estonian business competition ‘Ajujaht’ (Brain 
Hunt), co-ﬁ nanced by the ESF, encourages ambitious 
young entrepreneurs to submit their original ideas online 
to a panel of business experts. The 20 best young innova-
tors are oﬀ ered a three-month training course, cover-
ing all the topics they need, and help from a mentor in 
preparing a business plan. Besides sharing a prize fund of 
€64 000, the winners also have access to a one-year sup-
port programme to help them implement their plan.

For further information: 
European Social Fund: http://ec.europa.eu/esf/
Youth on the Move: http://europa.eu/youthonthemove 
Youth unemployment (15-24) in the EU-27: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/
refreshTableAction.do?tab=table&plugin=1&pcode=teilm021&language=en
ESF participants by age: http://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=66&langId=en

   For more information:

Information service of DG Employment, Social Aﬀ airs & Inclusion
Communication Unit
B-1049 Brussels
Fax.: +32 2 296 23 93
E-mail: esf@ec.europa.eu
http://ec.europa.eu/esf

doi:10.2767/2234

The European Social Fund: 

keeping young people in education; 

helping young people into work

The recent economic crisis in Europe has hit young people hard, reversing 

earlier progress in employment rates and putting at risk the services that 

existed to support them. The ESF is stepping in to help young people get 

good qualiﬁ cations and ﬁ nd work, so as to reach the targets of the EU’s 

‘Europe 2020’ strategy for jobs and growth.

The challenges facing young people  

Young people in the EU 

Youth unemployment is a cause for concern across 

Europe. The rate has increased by some six percentage 

points since 2008: from 14.7%, to 20.4% in early 2011. At 

the same time, many young people are failing to fulﬁ l 

•   People under 30 make up one-ﬁ fth of the EU’s popula-

tion, and their contribution is crucial to the economy 

and society.

their educational potential or obtain the skills employers 

•   There are 5 million young people (under 25) without 

need.

work in the EU: that’s 1 million more than in 2009.

That is why the EU has made young people a priority in 

•   Unemployment is more than twice as high among 

its ‘Europe 2020’ strategy. The European Commission’s ini-

young people (20.4%) than the workforce generally 

tiative entitled ‘Youth on the Move’ will promote lifelong 

(9.6%). In some countries, 

learning, study mobility in the EU, and take-up of higher 

it rises to 30-40%.

education, and help young people make the often dif-

ﬁ cult transition into work.

The European Social Fund (ESF) plays a crucial role in 

supporting these policies. It already provides signiﬁ cant 

help to young people, as the EU’s main ﬁ nancial tool for 

boosting youth employment, entrepreneurship and the 

•   40% of young workers are employed on temporary 

contracts (2009), making their jobs more insecure.

•   12.4% of 15 to 24-year-olds are neither in employment 

nor education or training (NEET), with a higher rate 

among young women than young men.

learning mobility of young workers, preventing school 

•   One in seven young people drops out of secondary 

drop-out and raising skill levels. Young people make 

education, and one in four has poor reading ability. 

up a quarter of the 10 million individual beneﬁ ciaries 

Less than one in three young Europeans has a uni-

each year. The ESF also contributes to the reform of 

versity degree, compared with, for example, 50% of 

Member States’ education and training systems and to 

Japanese.

lifelong learning.

(cid:37)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:80)(cid:69)(cid:65)(cid:78)(cid:0)(cid:35)(cid:79)(cid:77)(cid:77)(cid:73)(cid:83)(cid:83)(cid:73)(cid:79)(cid:78)

EMP-11-006_YoungPeople_EN2.indd   4-1

13/07/11   10:56