COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Youth Employment Support: a Bridge to Jobs for the Next Generation
Date: 2020-07-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, education, employment aid, labour market, vocational education, vocational training, young person, young worker, youth employment

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 1.7.2020  COM(2020) 276 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Youth Employment Support: a Bridge to Jobs for the Next Generation  
 
 
“No Member State should have to choose between responding to the crisis or investing in our 
people. Therefore, Next  Generation EU increases […]  youth  employment  support. It makes 
sure that people get the skills and the training and the education they need to adapt to this 
rapidly changing world1.” 

President Ursula von der Leyen 

1.  INTRODUCTION: INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION 

Guided by the European Pillar of Social Rights, the Commission laid out its programme 
for a Social Europe right at the beginning of its mandate2, with people at its heart. Since 
then,  the  Commission  has  prioritised  work  to  help  young  people  and  is  delivering  on  its 
promise. It is strengthening education and training, fostering youth employment, ensuring fair 
working conditions and improving access to social protection for all, because young people 
are  the  next  generation  and  deserve  all  the  opportunities  to  develop  their  full  potential  to 
shape the future of our continent. 

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasised the need to stay on this road and accelerate with 
speed. Though a health crisis first and foremost, the pandemic’s impact has spiralled the EU 
into a deep recession3. Rising claims for unemployment benefits foreshadow new challenges. 
Unemployment  will  rise  among  all  age  groups,  but  youth  have  already  been  struck 
disproportionally4. Over one in six young people have stopped working since the onset of the 
crisis5.  Many  were  working  in  hard-hit  sectors  such  as  accommodation,  food,  arts, 
entertainment, wholesale and retail6. Others are now trying to enter the labour market when 
such sectors are no longer hiring.  

Now is  the time for both Member States and the European Institutions to direct their 
attention  towards  the next generation.  We know from the  global financial and economic 
crisis that we should not delay our response. Early signals of trouble that are ignored  today 
can  snowball  into  irreparable  damage  within  just  a  few  years’  time.  With  the  flexibility 
offered  by  the  Commission’s  Coronavirus  Response  Investment  Initiatives,  many  Member 
States  mobilised  temporary  anti-crisis  measures  quickly.  With  the  help  of  the  European 
Social Fund (ESF), they maintain jobs and compensate for the disruptions in education and 
training  during  the  pandemic.  Moreover,  the  new  instrument  for  temporary  Support  to 

1   Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament, 27 May 2020. 
2   Communication on “A Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions”, COM(2020) 14 final. 
3   European Commission (2020), European Economic Forecast Spring 2020. 
4   ILO (2020), Preventing exclusion from the labour market: Tackling the COVID-19 youth employment crisis. 
5   ILO (2020), ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work (Fourth edition). 
6   McKinsey  &  Company  (2020),  Safeguarding  Europe’s  livelihoods:  mitigating  the  employment  impact  of 

COVID-19.  

1 

 
 
                                                 
mitigate  Unemployment  Risks  in  an  Emergency  (SURE)7  will  allow  for  up  to  EUR  100 
billion in loans that support Member States’ short-time work schemes and similar measures 
for the self-employed. Building on the Commission’s proposal for Next Generation EU8, the 
next logical step is to help young people shape Europe’s recovery. 

These  joint  efforts  should  result  in  more  opportunities  for  all  young  people  alike.  For 
youth  in  many  Member  States,  this  is  the  second  economic  recession  in  their  young  lives. 
Someone who turned 18 at the peak of the previous youth employment crisis is now barely 
25.  Challenges  are  likely  to  be  worse  for  discriminated  or  vulnerable  groups,  as  economic 
downturns tend to widen inequalities. Youth of vulnerable groups, such as youth of racial and 
ethnic  minorities,  young  people  with  disabilities,  or  young  people  living  in  some  rural, 
remote  or  disadvantaged  urban  areas,  face  additional  barriers  to  labour  market  entry9.  For 
example,  young  people  with  disabilities  have  considerably  lower  employment  rates  than 
those without disabilities,10 and migrant and refugees youth are a growing part of our youth 
and face specific obstacles and discrimination. Young women are also severely impacted by 
the crisis. Active and targeted policies will be necessary to ensure reaching out to all. 

24%

22%

20%

18%

16%

14%

8
0
0
2

9
0
0
2

0
1
0
2

1
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

7
1
0
2

8
1
0
2

9
1
0
2

0
2
0
2

Source: Eurostat database (online data code une_rt_m 

During  the  aftermath  of  the  global  2008 
financial crisis, youth unemployment went up 
from  16.0%  in  2008  to  a  peak  of  24.4%  in 
2013. 

As of April 2020, youth unemployment stood 
at 15.4% across the EU,  with  many  fearing a 
spike  just  ahead.  These  figures  followed 
record lows of 14.9% in late 2019, though still 
more  than  twice  the  average  for  general 
unemployment.  

The  initiatives  presented  in  this  Communication  contribute  to  the  Commission’s 
recovery strategy from the COVID-19 pandemic. They make sure that the EU’s digital and 
green  transitions  are  ingrained  in  the  DNA  of  our  youth  employment  policies.  They 
implement  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  and  support  the  New  Industrial  Strategy. 
Other  Commission  proposals,  such  as  the  European  Skills  Agenda  for  sustainable 

7   OJ L 159, 20.5.2020, Proposed by the Commission on 2 April 2020.  
8   COM(2020)441 final/2. 
9   This requires providing equal treatment for all people regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or 
belief,  disability,  age  or  sexual  orientation,  and  people  with  a  migrant  background.  Moreover,  this  is 
connected  to  the  ongoing  reflection  on  demographic  change,  which  addresses  brain  drain  and  increased 
population decline in regions particularly affected by this phenomenon (COM (2020) 241 final). 

10   According  to  ANED  using  Silc  Data  from  2016,  the  employment  rate  of  young  people  with  disabilities 
between 20 and 29 years of age was just below 45% and the employment gap in relation to young people 
without disabilities increased between 2008 and 2016. 

2 

 
 
 
                                                 
competitiveness,  social  fairness  and  resilience,  adopted  on  the  same  day,  contribute  to 
boosting youth employment11.  

This Communication details how the proposals for Council Recommendations on “a Bridge 
to  Jobs  –  reinforcing  the  Youth  Guarantee”  (Section  2)  and  on  “Vocational  Education  and 
Training  for  Sustainable  Competitiveness,  Social  Fairness  and  Resilience”  (Section  3), 
together with a renewed impetus for apprenticeships (Section 4) contribute to creating youth 
employment.  The  Communication  also  presents  a  number  of  additional  measures  to  pursue 
this objective (Section 5). The Commission’s proposals for Next Generation EU and the 
future EU budget will allow for significant EU financing for youth employment (Section 
6).  It  is  now  for  Member  States  to  prioritise  investments,  as  youth  employment  is 
primarily their responsibility. 

Youth Employment Support: a Bridge to Jobs for the Next Generation  

A Bridge to Jobs – 
reinforcing the 
Youth Guarantee 

Future-proofing the 
EU’s vocational 
education and 
training policy 

A renewed impetus 
for apprenticeships 

Additional measures 
supporting youth 
employment 

Tens of billions of EUR powering the recovery plan for young people 

Member States to prioritise investments that can help young people in the short and medium term 

2.  A BRIDGE TO JOBS - REINFORCING THE YOUTH GUARANTEE  

Over  the  last  years,  the  Commission  has  supported  Member  States  in  offering  young 
people stepping stones to enter the labour market.  Launched at the peak of the previous 
youth  employment  crisis,  the  2013  Youth  Guarantee  has  had  a  significant  transformative 
effect  across  many  Member  States.  It  has  created  opportunities  for  young  people,  driven 
structural  reforms  and  innovation,  and  strengthened  public  employment  services.  It  has 

11   COM(2020) 274 final. This Communication is complemented by the Commission’s upcoming proposals on 
the  Digital  Education  Action  Plan  and  the  European  Education  Area,  these  initiatives  will  form  a  holistic 
answer to the challenges faced by our next generation. 

3 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
helped  over  24  million  young  people  across  the  EU  in  entering  the  labour  market  since  its 
first implementation12. 

The  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  for  “a  Bridge  to  Jobs  -  reinforcing  the 
Youth  Guarantee”  builds  on  this  important  work.  As  school-to-work  transitions  and  a 
sustainable market integration are taking longer because of a changing nature of work and the 
skills in demand, it broadens the target group from all unemployed or inactive young people 
under  25  to  all  under  30.  It  supports  job  creation  measures,  as  well  as  various  activation 
measures  such  as  counselling,  career  advice  and  advocacy.  Today’s  proposal  steps  up 
prevention of unemployment and inactivity of young people through better tracking and early 
warning  systems  and  improves  the  quality  of  offers  by  linking  them  to  recently  created 
quality frameworks.  

The  proposal  actively  tackles  gender,  racial  and  ethnic  stereotypes,  while  supporting 
diversity  and  inclusiveness,  including  for  young  people  with  disabilities.  Fortunately, 
many  young  people  are  only  out  of  employment,  education  and  training  for  a  short  time. 
Without  underlying  disadvantages  holding  them  back  individually,  they  may  overcome 
setbacks  due  to  lockdowns  or  economic  cycles  relatively  quickly.  But  the  crisis  should  not 
make  us  lose  sight  of  those  hardest-to-reach,  who  will  need  intensive,  often  one-to-one 
support. Indeed, some young people risk being out of employment, education or training for a 
longer term, especially those belonging to the more vulnerable groups of our societies with 
major barriers to labour market integration even in the best of times. Today’s proposal caters 
for all, making sure that no one is out of employment, education or training for longer than 
four months by proposing more individualised and targeted approaches. It also underlines the 
importance of partnerships with, for instance, employers to advice on the changing nature of 
work,  or  with  supporting  social  services  to  help  disadvantaged  young  people  get  back  on 
track in various other ways. 

Today’s proposal also helps accelerating the much-needed digital and green transitions, 
acknowledging both the opportunities and uncertainties that come with them. It does so 
also by assessing and improving the skills and competences needed to find a job on an ever-
changing  labour  market.  No  young  person  should  enter  the  labour  market  without  at  least 
basic digital skills, and the proposal foresees short and hands-on preparatory trainings, related 
to specific skill needs of a young person. Crash courses, open online courses or boot camps 
can  improve,  in  particular,  young  people’s  digital  skills  and  those  needed  for  the  green 
transition, but also entrepreneurial and career management skills. This is further supported by 
the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience. 

12  Local  contact  points 

for  enrolling 

in 

the  Youth  Guarantee  can  be 

found  on  Europa: 

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1218&langId=en. 

4 

 
 
                                                 
The proposal provides a framework for action. 
Best  practices  exist  all  across  Europe.  Youth 
employment has become a key priority in  the EU 
budget. Now is the time for Member States to step 
up  their  efforts,  integrate  lessons  learnt  and 
mobilise EU funding (Section 6). 

Priority  operations  for  which  the  EU  budget 
can  be  mobilised  include  training  sessions  of 
short  duration,  reinforced  mapping  systems, 
early  warning 
tracking 
systems 
capabilities (see Section 6). 

and 

A Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on a Bridge to Jobs - reinforcing the 
Youth Guarantee13 accompanies this Communication. 

3.  FUTURE-PROOFING  THE  EU’S  VOCATIONAL  EDUCATION  AND  TRAINING 

POLICY 

The  economic  recovery  ahead  is  an  opportunity  to  accelerate  reforms  in  vocational 
education  and  training  (VET)  to  contribute  to  the  EU’s  sustainable  competitiveness, 
social  fairness  and  resilience.  While  vocational  education  and  training  increasingly  caters 
for  the  upskilling  and  reskilling  needs  of  our  adult  population,  it  plays  a  key  role  in 
supporting youth employment too, in particular through apprenticeships, sometimes referred 
to  as  dual  learning14.  However,  the  COVID-19  pandemic  has  had  an  enormous  impact  on 
vocational  education  and  training,  with  work-based  learning  and  apprenticeships  perhaps 
most  gravely  affected,  due  to  their  focus  on  practical  training  and  direct  links  to  the 
workplace15.  With  schools  and  training  centres  physically  closed  and  learning  taking  place 
remotely, education and training – normally the “great equaliser” of our societies – struggled 
to tackle youth poverty and social exclusion.  

Future-proofing  vocational  education  and  training  systems  means  synchronising  them 
with  the  green  and  digital  transitions,  and  making  them  adaptable  to  any  future 
challenge. It means investing in their digital readiness and ensuring access to the necessary 
tools  and  technologies  for  every  learner,  teacher  and  trainer.  It  also  means  fostering  the 
development  of  a  strong  set  of  skills  to  empower  people  to  design,  produce  and  manage 
products and services in an environmentally sustainable way and to provide employers with 
the skilled workforce they need. 

A  modernised,  more  agile  vocational  education  and  training  policy  will  enable  a 
smoother transition from the world of education to the world of work. It will contribute 

13   COM(2020) 277 final. 
14   During the economic recession brought about by the global financial and economic crisis, VET proved to be 
an  essential  part  of  the  efforts  to  support  youth  employment.  Particularly  apprenticeships  and  short-term 
VET programmes targeting the unemployed managed to increase employability. 

15   Cedefop (2020), How are European countries managing apprenticeships to respond to the COVID19 crisis? 

Synthesis report based on information provided by Cedefop community of apprenticeship experts. 

5 

 
 
 
                                                 
to decreasing the number of young people out of employment, education and training across 
the  EU.  It  sets  ambitious  objectives  for  VET  learners’  employability  (82%),  exposure  to 
work-based learning (60%) and international mobility (8%). It will also improve the quality 
of  the  continued  education  and  apprenticeship  offers  as  part  of  the  reinforced  Youth 
Guarantee,  helping  young  people  who  have  already  embarked  on  the  school-to-work  and 
early  job-to-job  transitions.  At  the  same  time,  it  will  promote  better  quality  assurance  of 
vocational education and training programmes and recognition of qualifications. 

Future-proofing vocational education and training requires embracing both excellence 
and  equity.  Vocational  education  and  training  institutions  should  become  centres  of 
vocational excellence, which provide innovative training solutions, facilitate access to state-
of-the-art  technology  and  act  as  business  incubators.  At  the  same  time,  it  means  actively 
tackling  gender  bias  and  other  forms  of  discrimination,  promoting  equality  of  opportunity 
through measures promoting, for instance, gender balance in traditionally “male” or “female” 
professions.  It  also  implies  removing  barriers  that  impede  the  participation  of  racial  and 
ethnic  minorities,  including  Roma,  people  with  a  migrant  background  and  people  with 
disabilities – for whom accessibility needs to be ensured. 

A Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on vocational education and training 
for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience16, part of the European Skills 
Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, is adopted today. 

4.  A RENEWED IMPETUS FOR APPRENTICESHIPS 

Apprentices  we  train  now  will  be  highly  skilled  workers  in  a  few  years’  time. 
Apprenticeships lead to the skills that employers actually need, while an apprentice gains the 
insights,  practical  abilities  and  networks  for  a  smooth  labour  market  entry  and  active 
participation in society. Apprenticeships also contribute to a speedy labour market recovery. 
They  add  a  skilled  labour  force  to  a  wide  range  of  sectors,  enhancing  the  productivity  and 
competitiveness  of  companies  big  and  small  across  the  EU.  Apprenticeships  should  be 
encouraged and supported, as spearheaded by the Commission’s proposal for a future-proof 
vocational education and training. 

While quality and effective apprenticeships have a vital role 
to play in preserving and creating youth employment, they 
impacted  by  the  COVID-19 
have  been  particularly 
lockdowns. Many SMEs are no longer in a position to accept 
candidates due to a lack of resources and activity. In response, 

16   COM(2020) 275 final. 

6 

can 

include 

Priority  operations  for  which 
be 
budget 
the  EU 
direct 
mobilised 
subsidies  for  apprentices 
in 
SMEs  and  bonuses  for  the 
placement  of  apprentices  from 
insolvent  companies  into  other 
companies  or 
intra-company 
training centres (see Section 6). 

 
 
 
                                                 
some  Member  States  have  already  called  upon  employers  to  step  up  efforts  in  preserving 
apprenticeship offers. EU funding can be mobilised to help ensure that apprenticeships keep 
playing their vital part in the labour market recovery (Section 6).  

The European Alliance for Apprenticeships has been instrumental in mobilising over 900 
000 opportunities for young people since its setup in 2013. It will now be renewed to give a 
boost  to  apprenticeships  across  the  EU,  which  will  contribute  to  a  stable  supply  of 
quality and effective placements for the young17.  

The  renewed  Alliance  will  call  for  new  commitments  for  digital  and  green 
apprenticeships,  focusing  on  the  economic  sectors18  that  will  be  on  the  frontline  of  the 
transition  to  a  climate  neutral  Europe.  It  will  bring  together  governments,  social  partners, 
businesses,  chambers,  regions,  youth  organisations,  vocational  education  and  training 
providers and think tanks19. Concretely, the renewed Alliance will include:  

 committing to quality and effective apprenticeships, and encouraging Member States 
and companies to do so, by fostering national apprenticeships coalitions. 

 incentivising  support  to  SMEs  for  providing  a  stable  supply  of  quality  and  effective 
apprenticeships. 

 mobilising  local  and  regional  authorities  as  catalysts  for  apprenticeships  within  the 
local business environment. 

 strengthening  social  dialogue  through  a  more  active  involvement  of  national  social 
partner organisations. 

 engaging  European  sectoral  social  dialogue  committees 
proactively, with a view to agree on joint sectoral pledges. 

in  apprenticeships 

 supporting the representation of apprentices in the Member States by relaunching the 
European Apprentices Network. 

17   The Alliance strengthens the quality, supply and overall image of apprenticeships across Europe, while also 
promoting  the  mobility  of  apprentices.  These  aims  are  promoted  through  national  commitments  and 
voluntary pledges from stakeholders.  

18   Such  as  sectors  contributing  to  a  circular  economy,  blue  economy,  sustainable  building  construction  and 

renovation, agriculture, smart mobility and energy. 

19   The  renewed  Alliance  will  be  embedded  in  the  Pact  for  Skills  as  part  of  the  European  Skills  Agenda  for 

sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
In  addition  to  supporting  Member  States  in  using  the  EU  funds  for  the  benefit  of 
apprenticeships  and  related  reforms  (see  also  Section  6),  the  Commission  will  give  a  new 
impetus to the European Alliance for Apprenticeships.  

5.  ADDITIONAL MEASURES SUPPORTING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT 

All  the  initiatives  presented  in  this  Communication  aim  to  help  the  EU’s  youth,  whether 
they are just to embark on the difficult shift from school to work, or struggling with the 
first job-to-job  transitions.  Such support cannot  be piecemeal,  as the barriers experienced 
by  young  people  and  the  underlying  disadvantages  are  multifaceted  and  wide-ranging.  To 
complement  them,  this  section  comprises  a  number  of  concrete  additional  measures 
contributing to youth employment.  

Public employment services play a crucial role. They have long-standing experience in the 
fields  of  career  transition  management,  placement,  continuing  professional  development, 
upskilling  and  reskilling.  Despite  persistent  budgetary  constraints  and  the  new  rise  in 
unemployment and short-time work schemes, public employment  services have risen to  the 
occasion  with  an  invaluable  exchange  of  first  responses,  pitfalls  and  success  stories  in  the 
immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic20.  

The Commission will support the European Network of Public Employment Services and step 
up  its  mutual  learning  capacity.  The  Europe-wide  network  will  be  tasked  to  consider 
comprehensive mutual learning and exchange of innovative practices in order to strengthen 
public employment services’ capacities for youth employment support. This will include the 
strengthening of partnerships with other stakeholders and intensifying outreach to vulnerable 
youth.  

Supporting self-employment is another important means of speeding up labour market 
recovery.  However,  young  people  largely  lack  the  networks  to  give  them  access  to,  for 
instance, business finance and entrepreneurial skills. Through meaningful exchanges of best 
practices, existing networks for aspiring young entrepreneurs at national and local level will 
be strengthened. Such networks bring nascent entrepreneurs into contact with businesses, role 
models, incubators and other local start-up support services.  

for  aspiring  young 
The  Commission  will  support 
entrepreneurs.  The  support  will  pay  attention  in  particular  to  young  women,  other 

the  strengthening  of  networks 

20   European  Commission  (2020),  European  Network  of  Public  Employment  Services:  PES  measures  and 

activities responding to Covid-19. 

8 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
discriminated  or  vulnerable  groups,  while  promoting  self-employment  opportunities  in  the 
digital and green economy.  

Social entrepreneurship increases the attractiveness of self-employment for many young 
people  inspired  by  entrepreneurial  career  paths  that  are  linked  to  positive  and 
meaningful  societal impact.  Moreover, social  economy organisations  such as  cooperatives 
and social enterprises are often more resilient to economic cycles. They make the ecosystems 
in which they operate more adaptable through social innovation and social inclusion at local 
and regional levels, also benefitting those furthest from the labour market.  

The Commission’s Action Plan  for the Social Economy, scheduled for 2021, will also focus 
on  youth,  including  entrepreneurial  opportunities  yielded  by  the  social  economy,  such  as 
helping local communities, striking local green deals and activating vulnerable groups21. 

Young people who have not yet entered the labour market or who have just made the 
jump  into  the  world  of  work  may  not  have  access  to  social  protection.  Some  Member 
States have already rolled out a series of emergency measures to support vulnerable groups 
not  previously  covered,  to  cushion  the  economic  and  social  impacts  of  the  COVID-19 
pandemic. But the world of work had become more precarious even before the crisis.  

Non-standard forms of employment, such as platform work, have become increasingly 
prevalent among young people. They create new opportunities for young people to enter the 
labour market, including when they need flexibility to combine work with education or caring 
responsibilities.  Building  on  last  year’s  Council  Recommendation  on  Access  to  Social 
Protection, the Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions as well as the 
European Semester work, we need to address the gaps in access to social protection in new 
forms of work while further improving working conditions.  

Firstly,  the  Commission  is  examining  the  challenges  related  to  platform  work,  and  will 
propose in 2021 measures to improve working conditions of people working through digital 
platforms. 

Secondly, the forthcoming Monitoring Framework on Access to Social Protection will zoom 
in on access for people in different forms of employment, including non-standard contracts, 
which are of particular relevance for young people. This will help identify gaps and support 
actions to fill them.  

21   In addition, the Action Plan will explore how to improve the entrepreneurial skills of young people in social 
economy organisations and social enterprises, also based on the experiences from the “Erasmus for Young 
Entrepreneurs” programme and the actions supported by the ESF+. 

9 

 
 
                                                 
Thirdly, the Commission will launch a study specifically on young people’s access to social 
protection.  The  exercise  will  chart  the  qualifying  conditions  of  various  benefits  across 
different forms of employment, enabling a much-needed exchange of good practice.  

6.  THE EU BUDGET POWERING THE RECOVERY PLAN FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 

The Commission’s proposal for Next Generation EU and the long-term budget provides 
significant  resources22  to  support  youth  employment,  as  part  of  a  major  budgetary 
initiative  to  tackle  the  economic  and  social  impact  of  the  pandemic.  In  the  short  term, 
REACT-EU23 will endow cohesion policy funding with EUR 55 billion for 2020-22. EUR 5 
billion of this envelope is proposed to be available still this year. This additional funding will 
be allocated to Member States taking into account several criteria, one of which is the effect 
of the current crisis on youth unemployment. The top-up of the European Social Fund will be 
of particular relevance to address the challenges to young people already observed across the 
Member States.  

Moreover, 
the  newly  proposed  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  yields  an 
unprecedented  opportunity  to  speed  up  much-needed  structural  reforms  for  the 
medium-term. A proposed budget of EUR 560 billion will support investments and reforms 
essential to a lasting recovery and linked to the European Semester.  

In  order  for  Member  States  to  receive  support  under  the  Recovery  and  Resilience 
Facility,  they  will  have  to  draw  up  recovery  and  resilience  plans.  Such  recovery  and 
resilience plans should address the economic and social impacts of the crisis, the digital and 
green transitions, as well as the relevant priorities identified under the European Semester24. 
Prioritising  support  to  youth  employment  and  related  reforms  has  the  potential  of  a  lasting 
impact on the Member State concerned in terms of growth potential, job creation and social 
resilience.  

These  efforts  will  be  complemented  in  the  2021-27  financing  period  by  the  European 
Social Fund Plus with a proposed budget of EUR 86 billion. The fund will support the full 
range  of  employment,  education  and  training  measures  put  forward  by  the  proposal  for  “a 
Bridge  to  Jobs  -  reinforcing  the  Youth  Guarantee”  as  well  as  vocational  education  and 

22   All amounts are in 2018 prices, except for the EUR 5 billion of REACT-EU for 2020. 
23   Financed  by  the  proceeds  of  Next  Generation  EU  for  post-2020  and  by  adapting  the  current  financial 

framework for 2020. 

24   Pending  endorsement  by 

the  Council, 

for  2020  country-specific 
recommendations, in the context of the European Semester, put a strong focus on strengthening active labour 
market  policies  (ALMPs)  and  upskilling,  notably  for  young  people.  The  Commission  has  proposed  19 
recommendations on ALMPs and employment services, as well as 22 recommendations on fostering skills 
development,  equal  access  to  quality  education  and  training  and  digital  learning.  These  country-specific 
recommendations will provide a crucial steer for relevant reforms. 

the  Commission’s  proposals 

10 

 
 
 
                                                 
training  system  and  apprenticeship  reforms.  To  this  end,  the  Commission  adopted  an 
amended  European  Social  Fund  Plus  legislative  proposal  on  28  May  2020.  It  proposes  a 
strengthened  commitment  for  those  Member  States  where  youth  unemployment  is 
particularly  high  to  dedicate  15%  of  their  allocation  to  youth  employment  measures.  This 
fund is an important financing source for the proposal for “a Bridge to Jobs - reinforcing the 
Youth Guarantee”25.  

The  initiatives  presented  in  this  Communication  can  also  be  supported  through  other 
EU instruments. The European Regional Development Fund and InvestEU, under its Social 
Investment  and  Skills  window  (with  a  proposed  budget  of  EUR  3.6  billion)  and  its  new 
Strategic Investment Facility (with a proposed budget of 31 billion), can provide important, 
future-proof  investments  in  education  and  training  infrastructure,  modernising  and  adapting 
vocational education and training, and shifting to environmentally ambitious technologies. A 
dedicated SME window under InvestEU can help smaller businesses with their training needs 
and  their  capacities  to  recruit  young  people26.  The  Technical  Support  Instrument27  can 
support Member States in the preparation and implementation of reforms, notably in the field 
of education and training and labour market policies, by mobilising EU funds and technical 
expertise. 

The Commission urges Member States to step up youth employment support, seize the unique 
opportunity  to  mobilise  tens  of  billions  of  Euros  of  the  future  EU  budget  to  this  effect  and 
prioritise  some  of  the  operations  mentioned  below.  Member  States  should  deploy  those 
measures best suited to target the specific challenges they are facing. 

The overall EU ambition is to increase the level of support dedicated to youth employment 
compared to the 2014-2020 financing period, which is estimated to be EUR 22 billion28. The 
proposed additional resources under Next Generation EU and the full range of instruments 
provided  by  the  EU’s  proposed  long-term  (2021-27)  budget  provide  unprecedented 
opportunities to achieve that ambition.  

25   The  Commission proposed that Member States  with a  rate  of  young people  out of employment,  education 
and training above the EU average dedicate 15% (instead of the earlier proposed 10%) of  European Social 
Fund  Plus  to  youth  employment  measures.  In  the  context  of  supporting  offers  of  employment,  continued 
education,  apprenticeships  and  traineeships,  it  will  be  important  to  aim  for  a  better  balancing  of  the  four 
available types. 

26   Furthermore, Erasmus+ will substantially increase opportunities for learning and training abroad for young 
people,  teachers  and  trainers,  including  in  vocational  education  and  training.  The  Common  Agricultural 
Policy will continue to support, with an enhanced set of instruments, young people that would like to engage 
in agriculture and young people living in rural areas. The Digital Europe Programme and the Single Market 
Programme will help finance the objective of fostering youth employment,  notably through actions geared 
towards acquiring digital skills and promoting entrepreneurship for young people. 

27   COM(2020) 409 final. 
28   This comprises European Social Fund and Youth Employment Initiative investments, including national co-

financing. 

11 

 
 
 
                                                 
The Commission will actively engage with national authorities and prepare guidelines so as 
to  ensure  that  adequate  EU  resources  are  allocated  to  youth  employment  support.  In 
particular,  The  Commission  will  encourage  and  support  Member  States  to  prioritise 
investments  for  youth  employment  in  the  digital  and  green  transitions  and  to  harness  the 
European  Green  Deal  as  the  growth  engine  for  jobs  under  the  Recovery  and  Resilience 
Facility. 

A  non-exhaustive  overview  of  operations  that  can  be  supported  with  the  future  EU  budget 
with results to be expected in the short term, in particular by making use of the resources of 
Next Generation EU and the EU’s long-term budget:  

 Short-time work schemes targeted at young employees and similar measures for young 
self-employed,  to  protect  them  in  particular  from  the  risk  of  unemployment,  as  well  as 
from loss of income.  

 Social  protection  in  the  form  of  income  replacement  or  income  top-up  such  as 
unemployment benefits, lump sums or sick leave payments to young workers who were 
previously excluded and/or had limited access to social protection due to strict eligibility 
criteria or their labour market status (e.g. the self-employed).  

 Direct subsidies for apprentices in SMEs including remuneration, recruitment bonuses 
and  temporary  social  contributions  coverage,  as  well  as  trainers’  wages  and/or  their 
social  contributions  to  stabilise  and  increase  the  supply  of  quality  and  effective 
apprenticeships. 

 Direct hiring subsidies including wage subsidies, recruitment bonuses for new hires and 
temporary contributions to social protection coverage to facilitate the acquisition of work 
experience  and/or  entry  into  first,  quality jobs  for  young  people. These  are  particularly 
efficient if well targeted and combined with training measures.  

 Financial  aid  for  students,  whether  pursuing  campus-blended,  blended  or  online 
programmes,  in  the  form  of  grants  or  loans  with  favourable  interest  rates  and  state 
guarantees,  to  enable  young  people  to  prolong  their  studies  or  to  re-enter  education  or 
training.  

 Training  sessions  of  short  duration  (such  as  short  learning  courses,  boot  camps  or 
workshops)  to  upskill  unemployed  or  inactive  young  people  for  their  immediate  labour 
market integration, focussing on e.g. digital skills, green skills, entrepreneurial skills and 
career management skills. 

 Pathways  for  reintegration  into  education  and  training,  including  second  chance 
education  programmes,  in  particular  for  early  leavers  from  education  and  training,  and 
low-skilled young people. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Placement  of  apprentices  from  insolvent  companies  into  other  companies  or  intra-
company training centres. 

I Start-up grants and loans for young entrepreneurs to set up new businesses and create 
jobs. 

A  non-exhaustive  overview  of  priority  operations  to  avert  a  new  youth  employment  crisis, 
with results to be expected in the medium term, in particular by making use of the resources 
of Next Generation EU and the long-term budget:  

 Capacity building of public employment services to e.g. reach out to greater numbers 
of  young  people  (including  vulnerable  groups),  provide  more  individualised  support  (in 
terms  of  counselling,  guidance  and  mentoring)  and  strengthen  integrated  service 
provision.  

 Reinforced  mapping  systems,  early  warning  systems  and  tracking  capabilities  to 
identify young people who are (at risk of becoming) unemployed or inactive, as well as 
implementation measures aimed at tackling early leaving from education and training, so 
as to contribute to a better prevention strategy. 

 Young entrepreneur  networks, mentoring  schemes  and  business incubators  to  help 
aspiring  entrepreneurs,  especially  young  women  and  discriminated  or  marginalised 
groups,  enter  the  labour  market  and  build  up  the  skills  needed  for  various  business 
models, including social entrepreneurship. 

 Career  management  trainings  in  formal  education  and  training  to  prepare  young 
people for a volatile, precarious world of work and to explain possible steps in finding a 
job or receiving support.  

 Implementing  VET  and  apprenticeships  reforms,  which  may  include  investments  in 
curricula  reforms  for  increased  labour  market  relevance,  flexibility  and  modularisation, 
expansion  of  higher  VET  programmes29,  setting  up  quality  assurance  and  graduate 
tracking  systems,  training of  teachers  and trainers  in VET,  supporting  mobility of VET 
learners, teachers and trainers. 

 Investments  in  digital  learning  infrastructure  and  technology,  state  of  the  art 
industry  equipment  and  technologies  for  VET  schools  and  VET  training  centres, 
(including for Centres of Vocational Excellence), to equip VET for the digital and green 
transitions. 

 Investments  in  inter-company  training  centres  (whether  setting  up  new  ones, 
reinforcing  existing  ones  or  embedding  them  in  Centres  of  Vocational  Excellence),  to 

29   Programmes at European Qualifications Framework (EQF) levels 5 to 8. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
help SMEs provide state-of-the-art VET and apprenticeships. 

 Investments  in  increasing  the  labour  market  relevance  of  education  and  training, 
including  in  the  higher  education  sector,  by  supporting  business-education  partnerships 
supporting  key  industrial  ecosystems  and  SME  networks,  as  well  as  by  increasing  the 
prevalence of work-based learning within existing programmes. 

7.  CONCLUSION 

The Commission calls on Member States to mobilise the EU’s strong intergenerational 
solidarity  to  support  young  people  as  part  of  the  recovery  from  the  COVID-19 
pandemic. We owe it to the millions of graduates, labour market entrants and those in their 
early job-to-job transitions to mobilise all the support we can so that they can develop their 
full potential. Now it is time to invest in our next generation, helping young people become 
the driving force for a digital and green economy. 

The  proposals  for  Council  Recommendations  on  “a  Bridge  to  Jobs  -  reinforcing  the 
Youth  Guarantee”  and  on  “Vocational  Education  and  Training  for  Sustainable 
Competitiveness,  Social  Fairness  and  Resilience”  provide  the  frameworks.  The 
Commission also proposed instruments to give the necessary funding. The Commission calls 
on the Member States to approve both proposals quickly and to harness the full potential of 
the EU budget when stepping up their youth employment support.  

Working  together  will  be  paramount.  Promoting  youth  employment  requires  strong 
cooperation among all actors (notably social partners, the education sector and civil society 
organisations),  as  well  as  among  authorities  at  regional  and  local  level.  At  EU  level,  the 
Commission will give a renewed impetus for the European Alliance for Apprenticeships to 
ensure  that  apprenticeships  play  their  part  in  the  labour  market  recovery.  The  Commission 
counts  on  the  continued  efforts  of  the  European  Parliament  and  Council,  and  proposes  to 
discuss  strengthened  youth  employment  support  with  both.  This  is  a  joint  effort  –  for  the 
benefit of the next generation. 

14