COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS INVESTING IN EUROPE'S YOUTH
Date: 2016-12-07
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU employment policy, EU investment, education policy, social integration, vocational training, young person, youth employment, youth policy, youth unemployment

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 7.12.2016  COM(2016) 940 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS INVESTING IN EUROPE'S YOUTH   
 
 
INVESTING IN EUROPE'S YOUTH 

"A 29th state is currently emerging within the borders of the European Union. It is the state where 
people without jobs live. A state in which young people became unemployed; a state in which we 
see  people  excluded,  set  back  and  left  by  the  wayside.  I  would  like  this  29th  Member  State  to 
become a normal Member State again."  

Jean-Claude Juncker,  
Opening Statement in the European Parliament Plenary Session, 15 July 2014 

"As much as we invest in improving conditions abroad, we also need to invest in responding 
to humanitarian crises back home. And, more than anything, we need to invest in our young 
people.  I  cannot  and  will  not  accept  that  Europe  is  and  remains  the  continent  of  youth 
unemployment. I cannot and will not accept that the millennials, Generation Y, might be the 
first generation in 70 years to be poorer than their parents. Of course, this is mainly a task of 
national governments. But the European Union can support their efforts."   

Jean-Claude Juncker,  
State of the Union Address, 14 September 2016 

The European project is about building a better future for European citizens. This also means 
investing in young people, providing them with new opportunities and helping them to seize 
these opportunities. It is about giving young people the best possible start in life by investing 
in their knowledge, skills and experiences, helping them to find or train for their first job and 
giving them an opportunity to make their voice heard. This investment in young people lays 
the  foundation  for  a  fair,  open  and  democratic  society,  for  social  mobility  and  inclusion  as 
well as for sustained growth and employment. 

1. An urgent need to invest in Europe's youth 

Over recent years, the situation has improved for young people in many respects: youth 
unemployment has dropped from a peak of 23.9% in 2013 to 18.5% in 2016, with a decrease 
of more than 10% over the last year alone. The share of early school-leavers from education 
and  training  dropped  from  17%  in  2002  to  11%  in  2015.  Among  32-34  years  old,  tertiary 
education attainment increased from 23.6% in 2002 to 38.7% in 2015. 

However, the crisis has hit the young population hard and fighting youth unemployment 
remains  a priority.  With more than 4  million young people unemployed  in  the EU, young 
Europeans have borne the brunt of the economic crisis and many continue to face a difficult 
situation. The  youth  unemployment rate in  the EU is  still double  the overall unemployment 
rate and reaches, in some Member States, more than 40%. These figures do not tell the full 
story as many young people are not registered as unemployed and are not looking for a job 
due  to  a  variety  of  factors,  including  family  responsibilities  or  health  issues  but  also 
discouragement and a lack of incentive to register as unemployed. In total, about 6.6 million 
young people are neither in employment, education nor training (NEETs), and for some this 
situation has been lasting for many years.  

Another  cause  of  concern  is  that  quality  education  is  not  yet  a  reality  for  all  students, 
and that a large share of pupils has low basic skills. 11% of young people have left school 
prematurely and without a formal qualification. This lack of a formal qualification limits their 
chances to  find employment. About 60%  of these "early school-leavers"  are unemployed or 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
inactive. On average, young persons with a migrant background (representing a growing share 
of  the  youth  population  in  most  EU  Member  States1)  are  more  likely  to  be  early  school-
leavers and have higher rates of not being in employment, education or training2. According 
to the latest PISA-data, the share of pupils showing very low skills in science and reading is 
increasing.  In  the  field  of  science,  the  share  of  low-achievers  went  up  by  four  percentage 
points  (from  16.6%  in  2012  to  20.6%  in  2015)  and  in  reading  it  went  up  by  almost  two 
percentage  points  (from  17.8%  in  2012  to  19.7%  in  2015).  The  share  of  low-achievers 
remained even higher in mathematics (22.2% in 2015, a slight increase from 22.1% in 2012). 
This  is  a  major  set-back  that  underscores  the  urgent  need  to  review  the  performance  of 
European  education  systems.  More  than  20%  of  school  children  have  difficulties  solving 
simple  tasks  in  mathematics.  More than  16%  have  problems  in  science  and  more  than  17% 
have difficulties with reading3. Only one in four young people report having obtained some 
digital  skills  through  formal  education.  Pupils  from  a  weak  socio-economic  background  are 
over-represented  in  the  group  of  pupils  showing  low  performance  leading  to  a  risk  of 
transmission of poverty and social exclusion from one generation to the next.4 

Against  this  background,  many  young  people  do  not  look  with  confidence  at  their 
future.  57%  of  the  young  generation  feel  that  young  people  are  excluded  from  economic, 
social and democratic life.5 At the same time young people are eager to engage and participate 
in  society.  The  situation  and  prospects  of  young  people  are  not  compatible  with  Europe's 
social market economy and the Commission's priority to boost jobs, growth and investment. 
As  stressed  by  President  Juncker  in  his  State  of  the  Union  Address,  there  is  a  risk  that  the 
millennials  -  the  Generation  Y  -  might  be the first  generation  in  70  years  to  be  poorer  than 
their  parents.  This  also  has  to  do  with  the  broader  economic  and  demographic  shifts  in 
European  societies  and  how  wealth  and  opportunities  are  distributed  between  generations, 
with the crisis of recent years compounding more profound trends.  

This  is  a  fight  that  Europe  must  win.  A  spell  of  unemployment  early  in  life  comes  with 
personal hardship and can have a negative impact on a person's entire life. Winning the fight 
against youth unemployment means to bring more young people into good jobs. This is a pre-
condition  for  Europe  to  secure  sustained  growth  and  prosperity.  Tackling  the  situation  of 
young people on the labour market is also a question of social fairness and, ultimately, of the 
credibility of Europe's social and economic model.  

The Commission proposes a renewed effort to support young people. Following the State 
of the Union Address, the Bratislava Roadmap agreed by the EU leaders of the 27 Member 
States  has  set  out  the  need  to  provide  better  opportunities  for  youth  through  further  EU 
support for Member States in fighting youth unemployment and on enhanced EU programmes 

1 Foreign-born young people and native with foreign-born parent represented in 2014 20% of those aged 15-29 
in the EU, Eurostat, 2014. More than four in five (83 %) of the first time asylum seekers in the EU-28 in 2015 
were less than 35 years old. 
2  Almost  one  quarter  of  third-country  nationals  aged  18-24  are  early  school  leavers  compared  to  around  10% 
among young people living in their country of citizenship. The rate of young people who are not in employment, 
education or training is higher among third-country nationals aged 20-34 (32.7%) compared to nationals (18.0%) 
and the situation is especially severe for women (43.0%). 
3 The OECD PISA survey is measuring regularly the basic skills of 15-years old pupils.  
4  For  details  on  the  link  between  low  educational  achievements  and  socio-economic  status:  Education  and 
Training Monitor 2015. 
5 Eurobarometer survey "European Youth in 2016", cf: 
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/20160504PVL00110/European-youth-in-2016 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
dedicated to  youth.  As a  response,  this  Communication  puts  forward  actions  to  invest  more 
effectively in young people. The aim is to help them to seize opportunities, integrate well into 
society, become active citizens and pursue a successful professional career. This initiative is 
about  how  the  EU  and  Member  States  can  step  up  their  efforts  to  offer  young  people  the 
support,  the  education,  training  and  job  opportunities  they  deserve.  The  Communication  is 
part  of  a  larger  package  of  action  to  improve  young  people's  opportunities.  As  part  of  this 
package,  the  Commission  launches  the  European  Solidarity  Corps6  and  presents  a 
Communication on improving and modernising education7.  

2. EU action in favour of young people 

The  main  responsibility  for  policies  and  measures  for  young  people  is  in  the  hands  of 
Member States, also when it comes to explaining the benefits and support of EU action. 
Member  States  hold  the  main  responsibility  for  their  policies  on  employment,  education, 
training and youth, but the European Union has a role to support Member States' efforts and 
has been doing so for many years. This was particularly the case of this Commission, with the 
strong  focus  given  to  youth  employment,  and  notably  the  focus  on  rolling  out  the  Youth 
Guarantee  through  the  frontloading  of  the  Youth  Employment  Initiative  in  2015  and  more 
recently  in  2016  the  New  Skills  Agenda  for  Europe.  Too  often,  it  is  not  obvious  to  the 
beneficiaries of EU action where the support came from: policies and action that have been 
initiated at EU level or benefit from EU financial support often achieve remarkable results but 
as they are delivered through national, regional or local authorities, many people are unaware 
of the EU's role in these measures. 

2.1. Tackling youth unemployment 

Fighting youth unemployment remains a top priority for the EU. Promoting employment 
is a matter of common concern, shared by all Member States. The European Union lends its 
support  to  Member  States  through  a  range  of  policies  and  action,  and  through  dedicated 
financial means. 

Under the European Semester of economic policy coordination, the EU is offering policy 
advice and guidance8 to Member States on promoting structural reforms which facilitate the 
integration of young people into the world of work. Key focus areas under the 2016 European 
Semester were active labour market policies, early school-leaving, better access to education 
and training to vulnerable groups, the relevance of education for labour market needs, work-
based  learning  and  apprenticeships  and  targeted  support  to  young  people  who  are  not  in 
employment,  education  or  training.  The  financial  support  given  by  the  EU  Structural  and 
Investment Funds is aligned with this policy guidance (see box). 

Examples of EU action for young people in the field employment:  

-  Since  January  2014,  more  than  14  million  young  people  have  entered  one  of  the  national 
Youth Guarantee schemes, which it was decided to set up in 2013. Around 9 million have 
taken up an offer for a job, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship since then. The 

6 COM(2016)942 final. 
7 COM(2016)941 final. 
8 This guidance is given in the form of Country-specific Recommendations. They are issued in the context of the 
EU-level  policy  coordination  in  the  fields  of  fiscal,  economic  and  employment  policies,  the  "European 
Semester".  

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Youth Employment Initiative, which is a key EU financial funding resource to support the 
roll-out of the Youth Guarantee, was launched in 2013 and endowed with an overall budget of 
EUR 6.4 billion. 

-  The  European  Social  Fund  has  been  investing  for  60  years  in  the  skills,  education  and 
training of young people. Between 2007 and 2013, the European Social Fund (ESF) supported 
more than 30 million young people. Between 2014 and 2020, over EUR 6 billion of the ESF 
is earmarked for measures to improve the integration of young people on the labour market 
and EUR 27 billion for education and training measures.  

-  For  the  same  period,  6.8  million  young  people  will  be  able  to  use  new  or  improved 
education  facilities  in  15  Member  States  through  funding  provided  by  the  European 
Regional Development Fund.  

-  Under  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development,  EUR  2  billion  will  be 
invested,  over  the  same  period,  in  training  and  advisory  services  increasing  also  young 
people's skills and employability, and EUR 7 billion are allocated to support start-ups in rural 
areas, with a strong focus on young people.  

-  The  European  Investment  Bank  supports  via  the  'Skills  and  Jobs  –  Investing  for  Youth' 
programme  investments  in  human  capital  (e.g.  vocational  training,  student  loans,  mobility 
programmes  worth  EUR  7  billion  during  2013-15)  and  provides  access  to  finance  linked  to 
the  employment  of  young  people  in  SMEs  (EUR  26  billion  allocated  to  beneficiary  SMEs 
2013-15).9 

In  recent  years,  the  roll-out  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  has  contributed  to  improving  the 
situation on the ground. The Youth Guarantee was proposed by the Commission and adopted 
through a Council Recommendation10 by Member States in 2013. It is a political commitment 
to  give  every  young  person  under  the  age  of  25  a  good-quality  offer  of  employment, 
continued  education,  an  apprenticeship  or  a  traineeship  within  a  period  of  four  months  of 
becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. In addition to other core EU instruments, 
such  as  the  European  Social  Fund,  a  dedicated  EU  financial  instrument  –  the  Youth 
Employment Initiative – was launched to support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee 
in  regions  of  Europe  most  affected  by  youth  unemployment.  In  order  to  speed  up 
implementation  of  Youth  Employment  Initiative  actions  on  the  ground,  early  in  2015,  the 
Commission made available upfront EUR 1 billion. Furthermore, in September 2016, also in 
the light of first implementation results, it proposed to boost and extend the financial envelope 
available for the Youth Employment Initiative until 2020. 

Practical examples on the concrete impact of the Youth Guarantee/Youth Employment 
Initiative: 

- the French Emplois d'avenir-scheme, which was launched in 2012 and is partially funded by 
the  Youth  Employment  Initiative,  aims  to  deliver  subsidised  jobs  for  low-skilled  young 
people  living  in  disadvantaged  areas.  Employment  contracts  last  one  to  three  years  and  are 
available  in  both  in  NGOs  and  private  businesses.  In  2016,  150,000  young  people  were 
supported.  

9 http://www.eib.org/projects/priorities/investing-for-youth/index.htm 
10 Council Recommendation of 22 April 2013 on establishing a Youth Guarantee (2013/C 120/01). 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
- in Latvia, the ‘Know and Do’ project, which started in 2015 and which is supported from the 
European  Social  Fund,  supports  outreach  work  at  the  municipal  level.  It  aims  to  identify, 
motivate  and  activate  non-registered  young  people  aged  15-29  to  return  to  education, 
employment or training.  
-  in  Croatia,  thanks  to  funding  from  the  European  Social  Fund,  eleven  Centres  for  Lifelong 
Career Guidance are now in operation. They provide free lifelong career guidance services – 
face-to-face as well as web based – to all citizens with a special focus on young people. 

2.2. Investing in skills, competences and the integration into the labour market 

Skills and competences are a key investment. In the knowledge-based economy, a broad set 
of skills and competences is indispensable11. Investing in them helps facilitate the transition to 
work,  prevent  youth  unemployment  and  sustain  innovation,  competitiveness  and  social 
fairness. Education systems need to achieve better results, i.e. good learning outcomes for all 
pupils, notably those from a disadvantaged background. Particular emphasis needs to be put 
on  improving  performance  by  increasing  efficiency  and  on  the  quality  of  teaching.  Better 
teaching is a key factor for improving both quality and efficiency.  

High  quality  vocational  education  and  training  systems  facilitate  young  people's 
transition  towards  the  labour  market.  In  particular  during  the  crisis,  well-developed 
vocational  and  apprenticeship  systems  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  effective  ways  to  keep 
youth  unemployment  in  check  or  prevent  it.  The  reason  for  this  success  is  that  vocational 
education and training, work-based learning and, in particular, apprenticeships are particularly 
effective  in  providing  skills  that  are  relevant  for  the  labour  market.  To  this  end,  the 
Commission has supported the active engagement of social partners in improving the quality 
of  offers  in  vocational  education  and  training  and  has  fostered  the  development  of 
partnerships  between  the  world  of  education  and  business.  Furthermore,  by  providing 
evidence and promoting mutual learning on the basis of common priorities, the Commission 
supports Member States in improving their education and training systems. 

Examples of EU actions in the field of skills, education and training: 

- In June 2016, the Commission launched a New Skills Agenda12 for Europe. It contains a 
package of measures that  aim at equipping more young people with  better skills,  at making 
better use of existing skills and at improving the demand and supply of skills. 

-  Since  2013,  the  European  Alliance  for  Apprenticeships  has  engaged  Member  States, 
social  partners,  business,  providers  of  vocational  education  and  training,  and  other 
stakeholders  to  strengthen  the  supply,  quality,  image  and  mobility  of  apprenticeships.  In 
addition,  through  the  European  Pact  for  Youth,  launched  in  2015  together  with  leading 
European businesses to establish together at least 100,000 new good quality apprenticeships, 
traineeships or entry-level jobs, the Commission works with the business community to make 
the partnership business and education a new "normal". The Pact for Youth and the Alliance 
for  Apprenticeships  have  already  mobilised  over  500,000  training  and  job  opportunities  for 
young people, in the form of commitments from companies and organisations. Alongside the 
action  to  boost  the  number  and  quality  of  apprenticeships  and  training  opportunities,  the 
Commission  is  working  closely  with  Member  States,  social  partners  and  providers  of 

11  This  applies  to  basic  skills  (such  as  reading  or  mathematics),  key  competences  (such  as  digital  and 
entrepreneurship skills and foreign languages) and non-cognitive skills (such as team-work and critical thinking). 
12 COM(2016) 381 final. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
vocational  education  and  training  providers  to  reinforce  their  vocational  education  and 
training systems. 

- The first European Vocational Skills Week (5–9 December 2016) will reach out to more 
than 500,000 young people, parents, professionals, employers and social partners across  the 
EU to showcase excellence and quality in vocational education and training. 

2.3. Offering cross-border opportunities and increasing youth participation 

Learning,  studying  and  training  in  another  country  provides  a  unique  experience  and 
opens up new horizons. Europe's economies are highly inter-linked. Offering young people 
the  opportunity  to  broaden  their  horizon  helps  them  to  become  more  autonomous  and  self-
confident.  It  is  a  way  to  acquire  new  skills  and  knowledge,  and  it  provides  a  unique 
experience, as it holds lessons about how to deal with diversity and to cope within a different 
environment.  

the  programme's 

The  Erasmus+  programme  offers  support  to  a  broad  range  of  young  people,  including 
university students, learners and apprentices in the field of vocational education and training, 
volunteering  and  youth  exchanges.  Between  2014  and  2020,  Erasmus+  is  endowed  with  a 
total budget of EUR 14.8 billion. It is expected to offer support to more than 4 million young 
people.  Recent  studies  emphasise 
impact,  notably  on 
employability13.  Students  who  have  been  mobile  are  half  as  likely  to  experience  long-term 
unemployment after graduation compared with those who have not studied or trained abroad. 
One in three students who do traineeships abroad supported by Erasmus+ gets a job offer in 
the  company  they  worked  for.  In  addition,  Erasmus  trainees  are  also  more  entrepreneurial 
than their stay-at-home counterparts: one in ten has started their own company and more than 
three  out  of  four  plan  to,  or  can  imagine  doing  so.  Finally,  Erasmus  students  have  better 
problem-solving  skills,  adaptability,  tolerance  and  confidence  than  the  ones  who  did  not  go 
abroad.  These  are  skills  highly  valued  by  employers,  but  are  also  essential  social  and  civic 
assets.  

tangible 

In  an  open  and  democratic  society,  it  is  crucial  that  already  at  a  young  age,  people 
assume responsibilities as active citizens. This kind of active citizenship requires that young 
people have the opportunity to participate and to make their voice heard. To become active in 
society,  young  people  need  to  experience  that  it  matters  what  they  do  and  that  they  can 
influence  decisions  that  are  important  to  them.  In  cooperation  with  Member  states  and 
stakeholders, the Commission supports the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy14. It has 
two main objectives: to provide more and equal opportunities for young people in education 
and  the  job  market,  and  to  encourage  young  people  to  actively  participate  in  society.  An 
essential part of the strategy is its consultative, participatory element: thanks to the 'structured 
dialogue', 170,000 young people from across Europe have been mobilised to have their say to 
policy-makers about policies that matter to them. 

13 The aspect of employability has been addressed in various studies, for example:  
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/repository/education/library/study/2014/erasmus-impact_en.pdf 
https://www.agence-erasmus.fr/docs/2431_observatoire-n2.pdf 
https://www.agence-erasmus.fr/docs/20140425_rapport-final_etude-impact-de-web.pdf 
14  Council  Resolution  of  27  November  2009  on  a  renewed  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  the  youth 
field (2010 – 2018) (2009/C 311/01). 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Examples of EU actions in the field of mobility and volunteering: 

- The Erasmus programme is celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, and about 5 million 
young people have benefitted over the years. For the period 2014-2020, thanks to the increase 
in 
another  
4 million are expected to benefit. 

diversification 

pathways, 

funding 

and 

the 

of 

-  An  instrument  for  young  people  to  engage  has  been  the  European  Voluntary  Service, 
which  has  been  a  driving  force  for  transnational  volunteering  for  20  years.  Each  year,  the 
Service supports about 10,000 young volunteers who go abroad to contribute to a variety of 
causes,  such  as,  youth  activities,  social  support  to  people  in  need  or  protection  of  the 
environment. 

3. A renewed push to invest in young people 

While  economic  growth  and  job  creation  are  continuing,  there  is  no  reason  for 
complacency.  The  consequences  of  the  crisis  have  been  far-reaching  and  the  challenge 
presented by years of massive unemployment is daunting in many parts of Europe. The EU 
has  a  long  track-record  of  initiating  and  promoting  policies  and  action  to  support  young 
people.  The  key  to  success  is  joint  action,  involving  actors  at  all  levels  and  notably  the 
responsible levels of government and social partners. The Commission emphasises the need to 
make progress on the following three strands of action:  

3.1. Better opportunities to access employment 

  The European Semester drives reforms at national level and precise guidance has 
been issued to several Member States. In the recent Annual Growth Survey, which 
launches  the  2017  European  Semester,  the  Commission  points  to  the  importance  of 
prioritising  investment  in  human  capital,  which  implies  improving  the  employability 
of young people and investing in their skills and education. 

  A full and sustainable implementation of the Youth Guarantee should be ensured 
on  the  ground  in  all  Member  States.  The  continued  political  commitment  and 
financial support to the Youth Guarantee is making a difference, and it is essential to 
reap the benefits of the work carried out so far. Full scale implementation is still recent 
in  a  number  of  Member  States,  as  many  measures  have  required  substantial  reforms 
and  broad  partnerships,  which  by  themselves  are  new  and  promising  ways  of 
delivering  support.15  As  the  situation  is  improving  in  several  parts  of  Europe,  a  key 
priority in many Member States will be to make sure that low-qualified young people 
receive adequate support. This requires better accessibility of the Youth Guarantee and 
more  effective  outreach  to  young  people  who  are  not  in  employment,  education  or 
training and who are not registered with Public Employment Services. It also requires 
strengthening  cooperation  among  public  institutions  and  with  stakeholders  and 
improving  the  capacity  of  partners,  in  particular,  public  employment  services,  to 
deliver the Youth Guarantee. Better mechanisms to ensure that young people receive 

15 COM(2016)646 final. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
high-quality offers should be introduced by setting standards for quality criteria.  The 
provision of apprenticeships under the Youth Guarantee should be strengthened, since 
it represents only 4.1% of the opportunities taken up so far. 

  To facilitate the roll-out of the Youth Guarantee in the regions which need it the 
most, the resources available for implementing the Youth Employment Initiative 
should  be  increased.  In  the  framework  of  the  mid-term  review  of  the  multiannual 
financial  framework,  the  Commission  has  proposed  to  supplement  the  original 
allocation of the Youth Employment Initiative by EUR 1 billion covering the period 
2017  –  2020.  Matching  funds  of  EUR  1  billion  will  be  provided  from  the  European 
Social  Fund.  If  agreed  upon,  this  additional  funding  is  expected  to  allow  for  about  
1  million  more  young  people  to  benefit  from  the  Youth  Employment  Initiative 
support. 

3.2. Better opportunities through education and training 

  The  Commission  is  determined  to  facilitate  the  cooperation  between  Member 
States  and  support  their  efforts  to  reform  education  and  training  systems.  
The  Commission  will  enhance  its  support  to  Member  States  and  present  in  2017 
specific  actions  to  modernise  school  and  higher  education,  including  an  up-dated 
agenda 
education,  
a specific initiative on graduate tracking, an agenda for supporting the development of 
schools and teachers, and a review of the Recommendation on Key Competences for 
Life-long  learning,  as  well  as  further  accompanying  measures  to  support  the  digital 
transformation in education and improved access to digital skills and learning.  

modernisation 

higher 

the 

for 

of 

  To advance the quality, supply, attractiveness and inclusiveness of apprenticeships and 
work-based  learning  in  vocational  education  and  training,  the  Commission  will 
propose a Quality Framework for Apprenticeships16, setting out key principles for 
the  design  and  delivery  of  apprenticeships  at  all  levels,  with  sufficient  flexibility  to 
apply to very different Member State systems. The Quality Framework could underpin 
the quality of apprenticeships  supported through EU  programmes  (Youth  Guarantee, 
YEI, European Solidarity Corps, Erasmus+, and European Social Fund). 

  A demand driven apprenticeships support service will be set up in 2017, building 
on  the  successful  public  employment  services  benchlearning  model  and  supporting 
countries to introduce or reform apprenticeship systems. This support service will also 
enhance  knowledge  sharing,  cooperation  and  peer-learning  on  apprenticeships  by 
identifying good practices, and strengthening mutual learning. A particular focus will 
be on mobilising actors for concrete actions at national, regional and local level. 

  Vocational  education  and  training  learning  mobility  brings  benefits  to  both  the 
participant and the employer. Studies17 show that stays longer than 6 months provide 
the highest added value in terms of improvement of professional, personal and social 
skills. However, today, the majority of apprenticeship placements in another Member 

16 To be built on the Opinion of the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training on "A Shared Vision for 
Quality and Effective Apprenticeships and Work-based Learning" adopted on 2 December 2016 
17 http://www.pedz.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-b/gdbk/07/analysis_leonardo_study_en.pdf 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
framework,  which  will 

State  are  for  a  short-term  (72%  for  less  than  1  month  and  21%  between  1  and  3 
months).  In  response  to  the  calls  of  the  European  Parliament  to  increase  the  quality 
and  attractiveness  of  apprentices'  mobility,  the  Commission  will  propose  a  new 
dedicated  long  duration  (6-12  months)  mobility  activity  "ErasmusPro",  within  the 
existing   Erasmus+  programme  to  support  work  placements  abroad.  A  strong 
supporting 
thorough  preparation,  structured 
implementation  and  appropriate  follow-up,  will  ensure  the  impact  and  quality  of  the 
mobility experience. Close cooperation with employers and other stakeholders in the 
European  Alliance  for  Apprenticeships  and  the  Pact  for  Youth18,  and  strong 
partnerships  with  the  Vocational  education  and  training  providers,  social  partners’ 
organisations,  intermediary  bodies  and  public  employment  services  to  reach  out  to 
local  employers,  will  secure  a  wider  pool  of  companies  ready  to  host  mobile 
Vocational education and training learners, notably apprentices. 

include 

3.3. Better opportunities for solidarity, learning mobility and participation 

 

In  the  context  of  the  mid-term  review  of  the  multiannual  financial  framework,  
the  Commission  has  proposed  to  give  a  further  boost  to  learning  mobility  through  a 
significant increase of EUR 200 million in the budget for Erasmus+ until 2020. 

  The  Commission  is  setting  up  a  European  Solidarity  Corps  which  will  strengthen 
the  foundations  for  solidarity  work  in  Europe.  It  will  connect  enthusiastic  and 
committed  young  people  working  on  a  common  solidarity  project.  It  will  offer  an 
inspiring  and  empowering  experience  for  young  people  who  want  to  help,  learn  and 
develop,  while  gaining  valuable  experience.  It  will  provide  an  extended  basis  for 
supporting organisations around Europe that provide solidarity opportunities for young 
people. It will serve the needs of vulnerable communities, of public national and local 
structures  on  a  wide  range  of  areas  such  as  providing  food  and  lodging  to  the 
homeless,  cleaning  forests,  supporting  disaster  stricken  regions  or  helping  with  the 
integration of refugees. 

  To strengthen civic participation of young people, the Commission will prepare the 
revision  of  the  European  Youth  Strategy  for  the  period  beyond  2018.  Wide 
consultations  of  young  people  and  main  stakeholders  will  be  made  in  the  course  of 
2017 to discuss what the strategy should be focused on in the future. One key issue is 
how to provide more and better opportunities for young people to participate actively 
in  political  life  and  democratic  processes.  The  Commission  will  further  develop  and 
step  up  its  instruments  for  dialogue  and  exchange  with  young  people  (e.g.  the  One 
Million initiative, the New Narrative for Europe project and the structured dialogue). 

  Mobility of young people is essential to increase European consciousness and identity. 
In  line  with  the  European  Parliament's  suggestion  and  at  the  occasion  of  the  30th 
anniversary of Erasmus in 2017, the Commission will support multi-modal mobility 
for young people engaged in an educational project. This offers new opportunities 
for young generations to discover Europe and make their own first hand experiences. 

18 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=2387 

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4. Conclusion 

This Communication "Investing in Europe's Youth" puts forward concrete EU actions aiming 
at helping young people to get the job, education and training opportunities they deserve. The 
challenges are huge. They are shared by all Member States.  

Only a broad partnership and a joint commitment between the EU and the Member States can 
deliver the step change that the current situation requires. This is also the spirit of the call set 
out in the Bratislava Declaration agreed by the EU leaders of the 27 Member States. 

Building on what has been achieved in recent years, the Commission is committed to working 
closely  with  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  to  increase  support  for  investing  in 
young people across Europe. It will work closely with each Member State and stakeholders at 
all  levels  to  assist  in  their  efforts.  It  also  looks  forward  to  the  impetus  and  resolve  of  the 
European Council of 15-16 December 2016 to agree on an ambitious set of initiatives along 
the three strands of action outlined above. 

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