Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on A Bridge to Jobs - Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee and repleacling Council Recommendation of 22 April 2013 on establishing a Youth Guarantee
Date: 2020-07-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, digital literacy, education, labour market, vocational education, vocational training, young person, young worker, youth employment, youth unemployment

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 1.7.2020  COM(2020) 277 final 2020/0132 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on A Bridge to Jobs - Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee  and  replacing Council Recommendation of 22 April 2013 on establishing a Youth Guarantee {SWD(2020) 124 final}  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

The proposal for a Council Recommendation on “A Bridge to Jobs - Reinforcing the Youth 
Guarantee”  responds  to  a  political  commitment  of  Commission  President  Ursula  von  der 
Leyen  and  was  announced  in  the  Communication  "A  Strong  Social  Europe  for  Just 
Transitions"  of  14 January  20201.  It  is  an  important  contribution  to  the  ongoing 
implementation  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  strengthening  principle  4  “active 
support  to  employment”.  It  is  part  of  a  series  of  measures  proposed  by  the  Commission  to 
boost youth employment, presented in the Communication on “Youth Employment Support: 
A Bridge to Jobs for the Next Generation”2.  

The Council Recommendation on establishing a Youth Guarantee was adopted in 2013 in 
response to the last economic crisis and the resulting youth unemployment rate (among those 
aged  15-24)  which  increased  to  a  very  high  level  of  24.4%  in  the  EU  on  average  and  over 
50%  in  some  Member  States.  In  addition  to  youth  being  unemployed,  6.5  million  young 
people (aged 15-24) were neither in employment, education or training (NEET). 

Seven  years  after  its  launch,  the  Youth  Guarantee  has  become  a  reality  across  the  EU 
though challenges remain. Every year, more than 3.5 million young people receive a Youth 
Guarantee  offer  of  employment,  continued  education,  apprenticeship  or  traineeship.  The 
Youth Employment Initiative 2014-2020 (in total almost EUR 9 billion of EU contribution3), 
together  with  additional  European  Social  Fund  investment,  has  been  a  key  EU  financial 
resource  to  support  its  implementation.  Rates  of  youth  unemployment  and  young  NEET 
decreased  substantially.  Before  the  COVID-19  crisis  the  youth  unemployment  rate  (15-24) 
was down to 14.9% on average compared to its peak of 24.4% in 2013. The improving macro-
economic  context  has  certainly  played  a  role,  but  a  recent  study  suggests  that  the  Youth 
Guarantee coupled with European funding has created opportunities for young people and has 
triggered  structural  reforms  in  Public  Employment  Services  and  education  systems  in  the 
Member States.4 

However,  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  its  economic  impact  will  jeopardise  this  positive 
development.  The  Commission’s  Spring  2020  Economic  Forecast  indicates  that  the  EU 
economy will shrink by 7.4% in 2020, the deepest recession in its  history and young people 
entering the workforce at this time will find it harder to secure their first job5. Earlier crises 
show that young people are indeed likely to be hit hardest. They are usually the first ones to 
be  laid  off.  They  work  more  often  in  the  informal  economy  or  in  non-standard  forms  of 
employment, with no or little social protection. They are over-represented in sectors ravaged 
by  the  pandemic  (e.g.  tourism,  accommodation,  seasonal  agricultural  work,  wholesale  and 
retail  where  women  are  also  overrepresented)  where  teleworking  may  not  be  an  option. 

1 

2 

3 

4 
5 

Communication from the Commission “A Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions”, COM(2020) 14 
final. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  “Youth  Employment  Support:  A  Bridge  to  Jobs  for  the  Next 
Generation”, COM(2020) 276 final. 
Comprising of YEI specific allocation and ESF matching component, in line with Article 22 of the ESF 
Regulation – EU 1304/2013. 
Study for the Evaluation of ESF Support to Youth Employment – Final Report, March 2020. 
European Economic Forecast, Spring 2020. Institutional paper 125, May 2020. European Commission. 

EN 

1 

  EN 

                                                 
Moreover, some of them are still suffering from the previous economic recession and are now 
facing the risk of being hit again by a worldwide economic crisis.  

It  is  therefore  important  to  reinforce  the  Youth  Guarantee  at  this  very  moment  to  help 
alleviating  the  impact  of  the  COVID-19  crisis  and  preventing  another  youth  unemployment 
crisis. The proposal builds on the experience and lessons learnt of 7 years implementation 
of the 2013 Youth Guarantee and integrates the changing realities of the labour market as 
well as the twin digital and green transitions.  

As part of the lessons learnt, the Youth Guarantee has to reach out to a wider target group 
and become more inclusive. Aggregate results for the EU indicate that, taken together, Youth 
Guarantee schemes do not yet reach a majority of young people who become NEETs and, for 
many of those who are registered, it takes longer than the foreseen four months to start their 
offer.  Too  many  still  struggle  to  make  ends  meet  or  face  barriers  to  employability.  Many 
young people, often from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, do not have access to 
quality education and training or face barriers in their transition from school to work. Gains in 
employment have not been evenly distributed among Member States and regions,6 and certain 
groups  of  the  young  population  are  at  a  disproportionate  disadvantage  (e.g.  those  with  low 
skills,  living  in  rural  areas  or  remote  areas7,  young  people  with  disabilities,  migrant 
backgrounds or belonging to racial and ethnic minorities, for example Roma).8  

While  the  rate  of  young  unemployed  decreased  on  average  until  early  2020,  the  rate  of 
inactive young people remained stable or even increased in most Member States. Unlike 
unemployed young people, inactive young people are not even seeking employment because 
of, for instance, their own illness or because of barriers encountered by  young persons with 
disabilities, their caring responsibilities for children or dependent adults or other personal or 
family responsibilities.  

Amongst  NEETs,  the  gender  gap  has  somewhat  increased  during  these  years.  On  average 
across  the  EU,  the  gap  was  3.2  percentage  points  in  2013  and  amounted  to  3.8  percentage 
points by 20199. Inactivity is also more common among female NEETs.10 As a consequence, 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Taken individually, some Member States are performing better (e.g. in ten countries more than half of 
young NEETs aged 15-24 are registered in the  Youth Guarantee).  Differences are related to different 
macroeconomic conditions, labour market institutions and the performance of the public employment, 
education and social protection systems. They may also be partly linked to the fact that Member States’ 
Youth Guarantee schemes have tended to focus on the easier to reach and activate NEET and that data 
reported by Member States does not necessarily cover all of the young people being supported. Besides, 
NEETs  are  a  heterogeneous  group  and  some  of  the  young  people  within  the  group  are  changing  at  a 
rapid rate (time between jobs or before settling for a job after finishing their studies).   
In  particular  the  situation  of  young  people  in  the  EU  outermost  regions  is  challenging:  these  regions 
have  much higher rates of  youth  unemployment and NEETs than the  rest of the European Union and 
fewer prospects.  
More  detailed  information  and  data  on  the  situation  of  young  people  (including  with  a  migrant 
background)  in  the  labour  market  in  the  different  Member  States  can  be  found  in  the  Staff  Working 
Document; SWD(2020)124. 
The NEET rate remains 10 p.p. higher for non-EU born youth relative to native  youth and the NEET 
rate  of  non-EU  born  young  women  is  more  than  twice  the  rate  of  native  young  women.  See  SWD 
(2017) 286  final/2,  Roma  integration  indicators  scoreboard  (2011-2016). The  rate  of  Roma  6-15  year 
olds attending segregated classes (where ‘all classmates are Roma’) increased from 10 to 15%.   
This  is  likely  to  be  linked  to  the  fact  that  inactive  NEETs  also  comprise  young  people  with  caring 
responsibilities – those looking after children or adults, as well as those  with other personal or family 
responsibilities – and  women tend to be overrepresented in this subgroup. Caring responsibilities as a 
reason for inactivity is more than five times as prevalent among women (55.2%) than it is among men 
(10.6%). 

EN 

2 

  EN 

                                                 
the  gender  dimension  will  be  strengthened.  Specific  awareness  raising  and  communication 
campaigns can tackle gender stereotyping at a young age and encourage young women into a 
wider choice of education paths and occupations. Young women can be supported by making 
sure  they  understand  not  only  their  potential  but  also  their  rights,  through  counselling, 
guidance  and  mentoring.  This  comprises  advocacy  and  addressing  gender  stereotyping  in 
educational  and career  choices.  In this regard, the preparatory phase is  also  underpinned by 
referrals to partners that provide supporting social services, such as childcare, healthcare and 
psychological support. 

Young  people  with  disabilities  have  considerably  lower  employment  rates  than  those 
without disabilities and the employment gap in relation to young people without disabilities is 
increasing.11  Inclusive  education  and  training,  ensuring  accessibility  and  reasonable 
accommodation,  and  combating  stereotypes  around  disability  in  the  workplace  can  boost 
labour market participation of young people with disabilities. 

Europe’s  demography  is  changing.  Due  to  ageing,  many  rural  areas  in  Europe  are  seeing 
their  populations  decline.  While  the  twin  transitions  can  bring  opportunities,  this  will  not 
happen  automatically  and  they  may  not  be  enough  on  their  own  to  bridge  the  gap  between 
rural youth and their urban peers. Young people living in rural and/or remote areas, especially 
those  already  facing  disadvantages  on  other  fronts,  will  require  targeted  support,  while 
infrastructure and access to services in these areas should be improved. These measures will 
provide  opportunities  in  these  areas  and  help  avoiding  brain  drain  and  further  population 
decline.  Meanwhile,  youth  living  in  disadvantaged  urban  areas  continue  to  face  specific 
obstacles to their integration in the labour market12. 

Moreover, the world of work is changing. On-going developments such as automation and 
digitalisation  of  production  and  services  continue  to  reshape  the  labour  markets.  Job-to-job 
transitions  are  becoming  more  frequent  and  many  young  people  shift  between  employment 
and  unemployment  or  inactivity  or  are  trapped  in  precarious  non-standard  forms  of 
employment.  In  particular,  young  people  are  overrepresented  in  non-standard  jobs  such  as 
platform  or  “gig”  work,  which  may  lack  access  to  adequate  social  protection.  Moreover, 
young people are at higher risk than others to lose their jobs to automation, as entry-level jobs 
tend to have a greater proportion of automatable tasks.  

In addition, the broader twin transitions towards a  more digital and greener economy will 
offer new opportunities as jobs are likely to be created in such sectors. However, this requires 
that  young people have  the right  skills  to  adapt  to evolving job  requirements.  Digital  skills, 
skills needed for the green transition alongside soft skills, such as entrepreneurial and career 
management skills, are expected to grow in importance. Investing now in the human capital of 
young  Europeans  will  help  future-proof  Europe’s  social  market  economies:    an  active, 
innovative and skilled workforce is also a prerequisite for Europe’s global competitiveness. 

Against this background, the current proposal aims at  revamping the policy framework to 
better  support  youth  employability  and  avoid  another  youth  unemployment  crisis.  To 
achieve these objectives, the proposal: 

11  

12 

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%. 
For example, neighbourhood based stigmatisation, limited access to public services or limited presence 
of companies. These obstacles are reinforced when people with migrant background constitute a large 
of these urban areas and strongly related to the challenges faced in the education system. 

EN 

3 

  EN 

                                                 
 

 

 

 

 

13 

14 

ensures that all young people under 30 receive 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.  This  ambitious  headline 
target  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  is  maintained  whilst  the  age  bracket  is  widened  to 
include young people aged 25-29.13  

This  acknowledges  that  school-to-work  transitions  and  a  sustainable  market 
integration are taking longer because of a changing nature of work and the skills in 
demand.  The  proposal  also  aligns  with  existing  national  practices:  youth  related 
measures and programmes are generally available for young people up to 29 years of 
age  and  the  majority  of  Member  States  already  consider  young  people  aged  25-29 
part of the target group14. Likewise, it recognises that during the economic downturn 
due to the COVID-19 pandemic a sizeable share of 25 to 29 year-olds may fall into 
unemployment and require support. 

includes  a  distinction  between  temporary  NEETs  (often  higher  educated, 
sometimes  with  work  experience,  perhaps  laid  off  because  of  the  COVID-19 
pandemic, or newly entering the labour market during the crisis after finishing their 
education)  and  longer-term  NEETs  (often  from  vulnerable  groups,  with  low 
education attainment, requiring extra efforts). This allows for a more individualised 
and targeted approach for both groups as the latter is likely to need more support.  

reaches  out  and  activates  greater  numbers  of  young  people,  in  particular 
women,  of  all  backgrounds,  making  sure  that  none  of  them  are  left  behind.  This 
will be done by improved and more targeted awareness  raising and communication 
campaigns, including by addressing the challenges of rural or more remote areas and 
most vulnerable social groups.  

strives to support young people in gaining work experience and developing the right 
skills  for  a  changing world  of work,  in  particular  those  relevant  to  the  green  and 
digital  transitions  and  those  that  correspond  to  the  needs  on  the  job  market.  It  is 
therefore  important  to  adequately  accompany  and  advise  youth  on  professional 
prospects and needs on the labour market.  

In  particular,  as  over  90%  of  jobs  today  require  already  digital  skills,  the 
Commission proposes to assess the digital skills of all NEETs who register by using 
the  European  Digital  Competence  Framework  (DigComp)  and  the  available  (self) 
assessment tools, ensuring that, on the basis of gaps identified, all young people are 
offered a dedicated preparatory training to enhance their digital skills.  

More generally, it proposes short and hands-on preparatory trainings, related to 
specific skill needs of a young person  as one of the key activation features during 
the  preparatory  phase  before  taking  up  an  offer.  A  hands-on  training  can  be  a 

Using  annual  averages  for  2019  and  taking  into  account  that  the  majority  of  Member  States  have 
already adopted the 15-29 age bracket, the absolute number of NEETs targeted increases from about 8.2 
million to 9.4 million, amounting only to an approximate 14% increase. 
The majority of the Member States launched their national Youth Guarantee schemes in January 2014. 
Adopting the option provided by YEI, a number of Member States expanded the scheme, either from 
the beginning or progressively, to also cover young people aged 25-29. Currently, the Youth Guarantee 
is limited to those aged 15-24 only in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Hungary, the 
Netherlands,  Austria,  Romania  and  Sweden.  In  the  other  17  Member  States,  it  is  open  to  the  15-29 
cohort. 

EN 

4 

  EN 

                                                 
stepping  stone  towards  a  full  vocational  training  course,  a  taster  of  the  world  of 
work,  or  supplement  existing  education  or  work  experience  before  the  start  of  the 
offer. The short-term, informal nature of such preparatory training, which should not 
prolong  the  duration  of  the  four-month  preparatory  phase,  distinguishes  it  from  the 
actual offer.  

continues to support the employability of young people in the short-term through 
a  number  of  measures:  temporary  short-time  working  arrangements,  targeted  wage 
subsidies  and  promotion  of  self-employment.  Apprenticeships  should  also  be 
supported  as  they  train  young  people  for  jobs  that  are  in  high  demand  and  thereby 
provide  stable  labour  market  integration.  Their  role  during  the  economic  recession 
needs  to  be  strengthened  so  that  more  young  people  can  take  up  such  an  offer.  In 
addition,  since  early  school  leavers  and  low-skilled  young  people  are  at  particular 
risk  of  becoming  longer-term  NEET,  young  people  should  be  encouraged  to 
complete their education and training and those who have left prematurely should 
be  brought  back  to  education  or  training.  Less  formal  and  more  flexible  forms  of 
education and training can be useful in this case. 

safeguards  the  quality  of  offers  by  linking  them  to  the  European  Pillar  of  Social 
Rights  and  the  European  Framework  for  Quality  and  Effective  Apprenticeships, 
Quality Framework for Traineeships, both of which have been developed since 2013, 
assuring, for instance, access to social protection, a reasonable duration of probation 
periods,  a  clear  written  contract  or  the  definition  of  working  and  rest  periods.  This 
should help make the offers taken up more stable in the long run.15 

enhances  the  prevention  of  unemployment  and  inactivity  of  young  people  through 
better  tracking  and  early  warning  systems,  cooperating  proactively  with,  among 
others, the education sector and youth organisations.  

improves  monitoring  and  data  collection  through  a  stronger  focus  on  post-
placement  support  and  a  call  for  improving  the  follow-up  of  young  people  after 
having taken up an offer to ensure their sustainable labour market integration. 

 

 

 

 

The  current  proposal  is  structured  around  four  phases  (mapping,  outreach,  preparation  and 
offer):  

 

 

15 

In  the  mapping  phase,  a  more  profound  knowledge  of  the  NEET  target  group  is 
transposed  to  the  specific  geographical  context  of  the  service  provider.  This  is  to 
identify individual NEETs and, crucially, those at risk of becoming NEETs. Through 
partnerships  and  early  warning  systems,  young  people  could  be  supported  before 
becoming  unemployed  or  inactive,  particularly  when  they  are  still  in  formal 
education and training. 

In the outreach phase, contact is made – and trust is built – with individual NEETs. 
The  outreach  phase  comprises  a  comprehensive  communication  strategy  to  raise 
awareness among NEETs of the available support, and that pays due attention to the 
gender stereotypes and specific additional barriers to reach out to vulnerable groups.  

Available data on outcomes, although still incomplete (the reason for leaving is unknown in a fifth of 
cases,  20%),  shows  encouraging  results:  on  average  just  over  half  of  the  young  people  are  still  in 
employment, education or training six months after leaving the Youth Guarantee and these results are 
maintained through time (12 and 18 months after leaving). 

EN 

5 

  EN 

                                                 
 

 

• 

The  preparatory  phase  runs  from  the  moment  of  initial  registration  with  the 
responsible  service  up  to  the  actual  start  of  an  offer.  The  matching  of  needs  and 
responses starts during this phase by tailoring individualised, holistic approaches that 
can cover a wide range of services depending on the young person’s situation. Most 
importantly,  action  plans  comprise  counselling,  guidance  and  mentoring  (including 
referrals  to  wider  partners),  additional  upskilling  where  relevant  and  pay  due 
attention to gender stereotypes and specific stereotypes linked to vulnerable youth. 

The fourth  and final  phase is  the actual start  of an  offer of employment, continued 
education, apprenticeship or traineeship. This represents an exit from the scheme. 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The  proposal  is  consistent  with  and  builds  further  upon  the  existing  policies  in  the  area  of 
employment and skills. 

As part of the Recovery plan for Europe16, Next Generation EU, through the Recovery and 
Resilience Facility (EUR 560 billion proposed) and REACT-EU (EUR 55 billion proposed) 
will provide additional financial support for  youth employment measures. 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  ESF+  will  support  the  full  range  of  employment, 
education  and  training  measures  included  in  this  proposal.  The  European  Regional 
Development  Fund  will  contribute  as  well  with  future-proof  investments  in  education  and 
training  aligned  with  the  digital  and  green  transitions.  Member  States  will  also  be  able  to 
obtain support from the Technical Support Instrument in the preparation and implementation 
of structural reforms, notably in the field of education and training and labour market policies. 

The 2019  guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States17 call on Member 
States to continue addressing youth unemployment and the issue of young NEETs, including 
through the full implementation of the Youth Guarantee. 

The Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for lifelong learning18 
calls upon Member States to support the development of basic digital skills and to increase the 
level of digital competences across the population. The Commission Communication on the 
Digital Education Action Plan19 sets out 11 actions over a three-year timeframe (2018-2020) 
to  help  Member  States  make  better  use  of  digital  technology  for  teaching  and  learning  and 
develop  digital  competences  and  skills,  improving  education  through  data  analysis  and 
foresight.  Moreover,  the  Council  Recommendation  of  19  December  2016  on  Upskilling 
Pathways:  New  Opportunities  for  Adults20  recommends  that  people  with  a  low  level  of 
skills, knowledge and competences be offered the opportunity to acquire a minimum levels of 
skills. The present proposal will complement this approach by offering targeted and tailored 
upskilling pathways to young people. 

16 

17 
18 
19 
20 

Communication  “Europe's  moment:  Repair  and  Prepare  for  the  Next  Generation”,  COM  (2020)  456 
final, and Communication “The EU budget powering the recovery plan for Europe”, COM(2020) 442 
final. 
Adopted by the Council in its Decision 2019/1181 of 8 July 2019, in particular guideline 6. 
OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1–13 
Communication from the Commission on the “Digital Education Action Plan”, COM/2018/022 final. 
OJ C 484, 24.12.2016, p. 1–6 

EN 

6 

  EN 

                                                 
The  Council  Recommendation  of  15  February  2016  on  the  integration  of  the  long-term 
unemployed  into  the  labour  market21  recommends  that  Member  States  provide  particular 
support to long-term unemployed. The proposal will complement this approach by preventing 
long-term unemployment among young people. 

The  2016  Commission  Communication  on  the  Action  Plan  on  the  integration  of  third-
country  nationals22  recalled  the  vital  importance  of  early  activation  and  intervention  of 
vulnerable NEETs, including  young third country nationals, to ensure their swift integration 
into education, apprenticeships, traineeships or the labour market. 

The  Council  Recommendation  of  10  March  2014  on  a  Quality  Framework  for 
Traineeships23  offers  guidance  on  the  provision  of  quality  traineeships.  Moreover,  the 
Council  Recommendation  of  15  March  2018  on  a  European  Framework  for  Quality  and 
Effective  Apprenticeships24  identifies  14  key  criteria  that  Member  States  and  stakeholders 
should use to  develop  quality  and effective  apprenticeships. The proposal  aligns traineeship 
and apprenticeship offers to the quality criteria laid out in these Council Recommendations. 

The Council Recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the Validation of non-formal and 
informal learning25 invited Member States to have in place arrangements for the validation 
of  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  The  proposal  will  complement  this  approach  by 
promoting validation of non-formal and informal learning. 

The Council Recommendation of 28 June 2011 on policies to reduce early school leaving26 
sets  out  a  framework  for  coherent,  comprehensive,  and  evidence-based  policies  on  early 
school  leaving.  The  ‘mapping’  phase  of  the  proposal,  including  effective  partnerships  and 
early warning systems, closely follows this framework. 

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

The  Commission  Communication  Europe’s  moment:  Repair  and  Prepare  for  the  Next 
Generation27 stresses that the EU’s recovery plan must guide and build a more sustainable, 
resilient  and  fair  Europe  for  the  next  generation  and  advocates  pressing  fast-forward  on  the 
twin  green  and  digital  transitions.  It  proposes  a  new  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  to 
support  Member  States  to  implement  investments  and  reforms  that  are  essential  for  a 
sustainable  recovery.  A  new  initiative,  REACT-EU,  will  provide  a  top-up  for  cohesion 
support  to  Member  States.  It  will  support  workers  and  vulnerable  groups,  education  and 
training  measures,  SMEs,  health  systems  and  the  green  and  digital  transitions  and  will  be 
available across sectors. The present proposal will inform these investments by enhancing the 
employability of young people. 

The European Green Deal28 is the EU’s new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU 
into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy 

21 
22 

23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 

OJ C 67, 20.2.2016, p. 1–5 
Communication  on  the  “Action  Plan  on  the  integration  of  third-country  nationals”,  COM(2016)  377 
final. 
OJ C 88, 27.3.2014, p. 1–4 
OJ C 153, 2.5.2018, p. 1–6 
OJ C 398, 22.12.2012, p. 1–5 
OJ C 191, 1.7.2011, p. 1–6 
Communication Europe's moment: Repair and Prepare for the Next Generation, COM (2020) 456 final 
Communication from the Commission “The European Green Deal”, COM/2019/640 final. 

EN 

7 

  EN 

                                                 
where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is 
decoupled  from  resource  use.  It  puts  sustainability  and  the  well-being  of  our  citizens  at  the 
centre  of  our  action.  The  Circular  Economy  Action  Plan29  for  a  cleaner  and  more 
competitive Europe sets out actions to achieve the decoupling of growth from resource use by, 
inter  alia,  placing  a  strong  focus  on  the  need  to  acquire  the  right  skills,  including  through 
vocational  education  and  training.  The  transition  to  a  clean  and  circular  economy  is  an 
opportunity  to  expand  sustainable  and  job-intensive  economic  activity,  thus  supporting 
recovery.  Given  that  the  greening  of  the  economy  is  shaping  skill  requirements  in  multiple 
ways, it is crucial to put in place policies that will support young people in harnessing the new 
opportunities. The proposal will complement this approach by promoting skills needed for the 
green economy. 

 The opportunities and challenges of the ongoing digital transformation and Europe’s policy 
response  have  been  outlined  in  the  strategy  Shaping  Europe’s  Digital  Future30,  which 
highlights the need to invest in education and training and digital skills for all Europeans. The 
Commission  adopted  a  New  Industrial  Strategy  for  Europe31  to  support  industry  to  drive 
Europe’s competitiveness at a time of increasing global competition and to ensure it leads the 
twin  green  and  digital  transitions.  There  is  a  strong  focus  on  unlocking  the  investment, 
innovation  and  skills  needed  for  the  twin  transitions.  The  twin  transitions  will  provide  job 
opportunities that will also be of benefit for implementing the present proposal. 

The  SME  Strategy  for  a  sustainable  and  digital  Europe32    highlights  how  an  increasing 
number of SMEs is confronted with the challenge of finding the necessary skilled staff. The 
skills  shortage  is  particularly  acute  for  digitalisation  and  new  technologies.  The  Strategy 
stresses that the EU can further help address these challenges, facilitating access to training, 
and  helping  match  the  demand  for  talents  from  SMEs  with  labour  market  supply. 
Entrepreneurial education and training that enhances business knowledge and skills play a key 
role in making SMEs fit for the single market. The proposal will complement this approach. 
Young  people  can  be  offered  a  preparatory  training  to  enhance  their  entrepreneurial  skills 
using the tools  and modules developed under the Entrepreneurship Competence Framework 
(EntreComp). 

The Common Agricultural Policy  supports  young people who would like to engage in the 
agricultural  sector  and  young  people  who  launch  an  activity  in  rural  areas.  It  provides  to 
young people training, advisory services, setting up and investment supports. The proposal’s 
skills dimension, in particular entrepreneurial skills, will complement this approach.  

In  addition,  the  Gender  Equality Strategy33 aims to  close the gender  gaps in  in  the labour 
market  and  increase  effective  access  to  fairly  paid  quality  and  sustainable  employment  for 
women. 

29 

30 
31 
32 

33  

Communication  from  the  Commission  “Closing  the  loop  -  An  EU  action  plan  for  the  Circular 
Economy”, COM/2015/0614 final. 
Communication from the Commission “Shaping Europe’s digital future”, COM/2020/67 final. 
Communication from the Commission "A New Industrial Strategy for Europe", COM/2020/102 final 
Communication  from  the  Commission  “An  SME  Strategy  for  a  sustainable  and  digital  Europe”, 
COM/2020/103 final. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  “A   Union  of  Equality:  Gender  Equality  Strategy  2020-2025”, 
COM/2020/152 final. 

EN 

8 

  EN 

                                                 
2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The proposal is based on Article 292 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 
(TFEU), according to which the Council adopts recommendations acting on a proposal from 
the Commission, in conjunction with Article 149 which foresees incentive measures designed 
to support the action of Member States in the field of employment. 

Title IX TFEU defines the EU’s remit regarding employment policies in particular Article 145 
on  developing  a  coordinated  strategy  for  employment  and  Article  147  on  contributing  to  a 
high  level  of  employment  by  supporting  and  complementing  the  action  of  Member  States. 
Low  labour  market  performance  at  national  level  in  terms  of  youth  unemployment  and 
inactivity may have negative economic impact and undermine social and economic cohesion 
across the EU, including when low performance is mainly related to sub-groups of the NEET 
population that are in a vulnerable situation.  

Thus, the proposal will contribute to the objectives of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), 
notably  promoting  full  employment,  non-discrimination,  equality  between  women  and  men, 
social inclusion and social cohesion (Article 3 TEU).  

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

In  its  work  towards  developing  a  strategy  for  employment,  the  EU  has  the  competence  to 
coordinate, encourage cooperation and support the Member States' actions. While respecting 
the competence of the Member States, the proposal gives concrete content to this ambition in 
particular  by  capitalising  on  seven  years  of  implementation  of  the  Youth  Guarantee.  The 
proposal  aims  at  improving  the  implementation  of  the  already  existing  Youth  Guarantee 
schemes in Member States, building on successful practices and lessons learnt. A continued 
EU  intervention  to  tackle  youth  unemployment  and  inactivity  based  on  a  more  future-proof 
and  inclusive  common  policy  framework  should  provide  improved  policy  guidance  to  the 
Member States and can contribute to increasing activity rates and upskilling of the workforce 
in the EU, while avoiding the very high economic and societal costs of having young people 
not in employment, education or training.  

The proposal will also help Member States to make best use of the ESF+, in order to address 
youth unemployment and inactivity. 

In line with the principle of subsidiarity, the proposal makes recommendations to improve the 
implementation of Member States’ Youth Guarantee schemes fully respecting the competence 
of  the  Member  States  in  the  field  of  employment  as  well  as  their  internal  division  of 
competences.  The  proposal  recognises  that  different  situations  in  individual  Member  States 
(or  at  regional  or  local  level)  can  lead  to  differences  in  how  the  recommendations  are 
implemented. 

• 

Proportionality 

The  actions  proposed  are  proportional  to  the  objectives  pursued.  The  proposal  supports  the 
Youth  Guarantee  schemes  launched  by  Member  States  and  complements  Member  States' 
efforts  in  the  area  of  youth  unemployment  and  inactivity.  The  proposed  action  respects 
Member  States’  practices  and  the  diversity  of  systems.  It  accommodates  a  differentiated 
approach  reflecting  Member  States'  different  economic,  financial  and  social  situations,  the 
diverse  labour  market  conditions  and  the  heterogeneity  of  situations  leading  to  youth 

EN 

9 

  EN 

unemployment and inactivity. It recognises that different national, regional or local situations 
could lead to differences in how the proposed recommendation is implemented. 

Choice of the instrument 

The  proposed  instrument  is  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation,  which  respects  the 
principles  of  subsidiarity  and  proportionality.  It  builds  on  the  existing  body  of  European 
Union law and is in line with the type of instruments available for European Union action in 
the areas of employment. As a legal instrument, it signals the commitment of Member States 
to the measures laid down in this Recommendation and provides a strong political basis for 
cooperation  at  European  Union  level  in  this  area,  while  fully  respecting  Member  States 
competence in the field of employment policies. Once adopted, the Council Recommendation 
of 22 April 2013 on establishing a Youth Guarantee would be replaced. 

3. 

• 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

Not applicable. 

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

As  explained  above,  the  proposal  builds  on  the  2013  Council  Recommendation  on 
establishing  a  Youth  Guarantee34.  Since  2014,  the  implementation  of  the  Recommendation 
has  been  monitored  within  the  context  of  the  European  Semester.  Reviews  of  the 
implementation  for  all  Member  States  are  carried  out  within  the  Employment  Committee 
(EMCO) every two years. In addition, quantitative monitoring of national schemes, based on 
a  commonly  agreed  Indicator  Framework35,  is  carried  out  annually.  Youth  Guarantee 
coordinators  from  all  Member  States  meet  regularly  to  discuss  progress  in  implementation, 
ongoing policy reforms and relevant projects, and participate in mutual learning activities.  

Moreover, specific consultation activities took place in early 2020 and targeted stakeholders 
closely  involved  in  designing  and  implementing  the  Youth  Guarantee  or  benefiting  from  it. 
While  all  consultations  preceded  the  COVID  outbreak  and  the  economic  downturn  that 
followed, the contributions focused on structural aspects and therefore remain pertinent.36  

The  proposal  reflects  to  a  large  extent  the  views gathered  during  the  targeted  consultations. 
All stakeholders consulted, except for the employers  – who advocated a closer follow-up of 
the  implementation  of  the  existing  Council  Recommendation,  were  in  favour  of  reinforcing 
the Youth Guarantee by proposing a new Council Recommendation.  

All  stakeholders  called  for  improving  the  ‘quality’  of  the  offers,  proposing  different 
approaches,  which  the  proposal  responds  to  by  aligning  offers  to  existing  quality  standards 
and principles. It also reflects the consensus on the need to strengthen the multi-stakeholder 
partnership-based and integrated approach. 

• 

34 
35 
36 

Collection and use of expertise 

OJ C 120, 26.4.2013, p. 1–6 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=17424&langId=en 
Detailed results of the targeted consultations with Member States and key stakeholders are described in 
the Synopsis report, which is part of the SWD which is published in parallel to the present proposal. 

EN 

10 

  EN 

 
                                                 
In addition to the use of consultation results, the proposal is based on a wide range of reports 
and studies as well as expertise gathered through peer learning activities and meetings of the 
Youth Guarantee coordinators. 

Quantitative monitoring of national Youth Guarantee schemes, based on a commonly agreed 
Indicator Framework, is carried out annually. Macroeconomic indicators based on data from 
the EU Labour Force Survey (LFS) are used to monitor the general situation of young people 
in  the  labour  market  and  therefore,  indirectly,  the  impact  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  and  other 
measures  that  prevent  young  people  from  becoming  NEETs.  Implementation  and  follow-up 
(long-term  outcome)  indicators  are  derived  from  administrative  data  provided  annually  by 
Member States. They are based on data on the number of young people that have registered in 
Youth Guarantee schemes (how long they stay registered, where they go when they leave the 
registry  and where they  are sometime after leaving).  Implementation  indicators measure the 
direct  impact  of Youth  Guarantee delivery  while follow-up indicators are used to  gauge the 
sustainability of labour market integration after provision of a Youth Guarantee offer. 

Furthermore, Youth Guarantee coordinators from all Member States meet regularly to discuss 
progress  and  challenges  in  implementation,  ongoing  policy  reforms  and  relevant  projects. 
They also participate in mutual learning activities. The experiences and evaluations from the 
implementation  at  national  level  contributed  to  a  series  of  reports  published  in  2018.  The 
European Network of Public Employment Services  (PES) is  regularly reporting on the PES 
capacity  to  implement  the  Youth  Guarantee  via  the  biennial  assessment  reports.  The  EU 
funding  side  is  closely  monitored  via  the  ESF  monitoring  committees  and  annual 
implementation reports and regularly evaluated. 

• 

Impact assessment 

The instrument proposed – a Council Recommendation – has the effect of offering guidance 
on the implementation of Youth Guarantee schemes, but it leaves Member States flexibility in 
designing and implementing measures. Therefore, an impact assessment is not necessary. 

the  aftermath  of 

A  comprehensive  Staff  Working  Document37  includes  an  overview  of  the  most  important 
lessons  stemming  from 
the  previous  economic  recession  and  a 
comprehensive  summary  of  the  lessons  stemming  from  the  Youth  Guarantee’s  2013-20 
implementation. These lessons originate from numerous monitoring and evaluation exercises 
at EU level but also from the feedback received during targeted consultations in early 2020, 
when the European Commission reached out to, among others, civil society, social partners, 
national  stakeholders  and  young  people  themselves.  Together,  these  lessons  translate  into  a 
number of actions detailed in the proposal. 

The  Commission  has  evaluated  the  youth  employment  measures  funded  by  the  European 
Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative. The evaluation results and the preparatory 
work made in 2018 for the evaluation have been taken into consideration for the preparation 
of this proposal.  

• 

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

Not applicable. 

37 

Commission Staff Working Document which is published in parallel to the present proposal. 

EN 

11 

  EN 

                                                 
• 

Fundamental rights 

Not applicable. 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

The Recommendation does not require additional EU budget or staff resources. 

5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

It  is  proposed  that  the  Commission  continues  to  monitor  the  implementation  of  the  Youth 
Guarantee  in  cooperation  with  the  Member  States  in  the  context  of  the  European  Semester. 
Reviews  of  all  Member  States  should  be  carried  out  within  the  EMCO  every  two  years. 
Quantitative  monitoring  of  national  Youth  Guarantee  schemes,  based  on  the  commonly 
agreed  Indicator Framework, should be carried out  annually. Furthermore, Youth Guarantee 
coordinators  from  all  Member  States  should  continue  to  meet  regularly  to  discuss  progress 
and  challenges  in  implementation,  ongoing  policy  reforms  and  relevant  projects,  and 
participate in mutual learning activities. 

• 

Explanatory documents (for directives) 

Not applicable. 

• 

Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal 

§ 1 updates the headline target, widening the age bracket to include young people aged 25-29. 
This  makes  the  proposal  more  inclusive  and  recognises  that  during  the  economic  downturn 
due  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic  a  bigger  share  of  25  to  29  year-olds  will  fall  into 
unemployment and require support.  

§  2  to  4  recommend  Member  States  to  reinforce  mapping  systems  and  enabling  prevention 
through tracking and early warning systems.  

§  5  to  7  include  recommendations  to  Member  States  on  raising  awareness  and  targeting 
communication and stepping up the outreach to vulnerable groups. This could be achieved by 
adopting appropriate, youth-friendly information channels and by using a recognisable visual 
style for communication purposes. 

§ 8 to 11 include recommendations to Member States on profiling, counselling, guidance and 
mentoring.  Member  States  are  invited  to  improve  profiling  and  screening  tools  and 
individualised  action  plans  that  take  into  account  a  young  person’s  preferences  and 
motivation, barriers and disadvantages, and reasons for being unemployed or inactive.  

§  12  and  13  include  recommendations  to  Member  States  on  enhancing  digital  skills  with 
preparatory  trainings  and  on  validation  of  learning  outcomes.  Member  States  are  strongly 
recommended to  assess the digital  skills  of  all NEETs who register in  the Youth Guarantee 
and ensure that, all young people are offered a dedicated preparatory training to enhance their 
digital skills.  

§ 14 invites Member States to ensure that the preparatory phase facilitates upskilling and re-
skilling geared towards the skills needed in a changing labour market and that are needed for 
the green transition as well as entrepreneurial and career management skills.  

EN 

12 

  EN 

§  15  to  19  recommend  Member  States  to  use  targeted  and  well-designed  employment  and 
start-up  incentives,  align  the  offer  to  standards  for  quality  and  equity  and  expand  post-
placement support. 

§  20  to  26  include  recommendations  to  Member  States  on  partnerships,  data  collection  and 
monitoring  and  the  use  of  funds.  Member  States  could  strengthen  existing  partnerships  and 
are  invited  to  formalise  protocols  for  cooperation  between  Youth  Guarantee  providers 
(including  education  and  training  institutions)  and  other  social  services  (e.g.  childcare, 
healthcare,  social  housing,  accessibility  services).  In  particular,  it  is  important  to  ensure  the 
active  involvement  of  social  partners  at  all  levels.  Member  States  are  invited  to  further 
develop  integrated  service  models,  such  as  one-stop  shops,  joint  case  management  or 
multidisciplinary  teams.  Member  States  are  also  invited  to  improve  data  on  the  sustainable 
labour market integration of young people and explore the potential of wider data sharing. 

§ 27 to 31 welcomes the Commission’s intention to strengthen the support for the quantitative 
monitoring  of  Youth  Guarantee  schemes  based  on  the  commonly  agreed  Indicator 
Framework,  explore  the  new  possibilities  yielded  by  upcoming  improvements  to  the  EU 
Labour Force Survey and the granularity with which the NEET target group can be assessed, 
and monitor the implementation of national schemes through the multi-lateral surveillance of 
the  Employment  Committee  within  the  framework  of  the  European  Semester.  The 
Commission  is    invited  to  report  regularly  to  the  Employment  Committee  on  developments 
concerning  the  implementation  and  results  of  the  schemes  and  support  Member  States’ 
awareness raising and communication efforts while reinforcing at EU level the dissemination 
of  results  and  good  practice  examples.  Good  practices  help  other  Member  States  in  taking 
over measures with a proven track record. 

EN 

13 

  EN 

 
2020/0132 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

on A Bridge to Jobs - Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee 

and 

replacing Council Recommendation of 22 April 2013 on establishing a Youth Guarantee 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 292, in conjunction with Article 149 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

In  November  2017  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission 
proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights, setting out 20 principles and rights to 
support well-functioning  and fair labour markets and welfare systems.  It  sets  out  the 
right  to  fair  and  equal  treatment  regarding  working  conditions,  access  to  social 
protection  and  training.  It  also  states  that  probation  periods  should  be  of  reasonable 
duration  and  prohibits  the  abuse  of  atypical  contracts.  Principle  4  “active  support  to 
employment”  states  that  “young  people  have  the  right  to  continued  education, 
apprenticeship,  traineeship  or  a  job  offer  of  good  standing  within  4  months  of 
becoming unemployed or leaving education”. 

The  guidelines  for  the  employment  policies  of  the  Member  States,  adopted  by  the 
Council in its Decision 2019/1181 of 8 July 201938, and in particular guideline 6, call 
upon the Member States to continue to address youth unemployment and the issue of 
young  people  not  in  employment,  education  or  training  (NEETs)  through  prevention 
of  early  school  leaving  and  structural  improvement  in  the  school-to-work  transition, 
including through the full implementation of the Youth Guarantee. 

The Council Recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the Validation of non-formal 
and  informal  learning39  sets  out  elements  and  principles  for  the  validation  of  non-
formal and informal learning which enable individuals to have knowledge, skills and 
competences  which  have  been  acquired  through  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
validated and to obtain a full qualification, or, where applicable, part qualification. 

The  Council  Recommendation  of  19  December  2016  on  Upskilling  Pathways:  New 
Opportunities  for  Adults40  recommends  that  adults  with  a  low  level  of  skills, 
knowledge and competences be offered the opportunity, according to their individual 

38 
39 
40 

OJ L 185, 11.7.2019, p. 44–45 
OJ C 398, 22.12.2012, p. 1–5 
OJ C 484, 24.12.2016, p. 1–6 

EN 

14 

  EN 

 
 
                                                 
(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

(10) 

needs,  to  acquire  a  minimum  level  of  literacy,  numeracy  and  digital  competence; 
and/or acquire a wider set of skills, knowledge and competences. 

The  Council  Recommendation  of  22  May  2018  on  key  competences  for  lifelong 
learning41  calls  upon  the  Member  States  to  support  the  development  of  basic  digital 
skills and to increase and improve the level of digital competences across all segments 
of the population. 

The  Council  Recommendation  of  10  March  2014  on  a  Quality  Framework  for 
Traineeships42  offers  guidance  on  the  provision  of  quality  traineeships  and  includes 
quality elements that relate in particular to learning content, working conditions, and 
transparency regarding financial conditions and hiring practices.  

The  Council  Recommendation  of  15  March  2018  on  a  European  Framework  for 
Quality and Effective Apprenticeships43 identifies 14 key criteria that Member States 
and stakeholders should use to develop quality and effective apprenticeships to ensure 
both  the  development  of  job-related  skills  and  the  personal  development  of 
apprentices.  

Regulation  (EU)  2019/1700  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of 
10 October  201944  provides  a  common  framework  for  seven  previously  independent 
data collections, among which the EU Labour Force Survey. The Integrated European 
Social  Statistics  (IESS)  yields  more  granular  cross-EU  comparative  data,  which  will 
enable  a  better  understanding  of  young  people’s  transition  from  school  to  work, 
capturing  more  accurately  their  learning  and  working  experience,  but  also  their 
individual background characteristics.  

In  its  conclusions  of  15  December  2016  the  European  Council  calls  for  the 
continuation of the Youth Guarantee. In its conclusions of 15 June 2017, the Council 
reaffirms  that  tackling  youth  unemployment  and  inactivity  remains  a  policy  priority, 
considers  that  the  Youth  Guarantee  and  the  Youth  Employment  Initiative  have 
provided a strong impetus for structural reforms and policy innovation and underlines 
that  that  reaching  out  to  NEETs  requires  strong  and  persistent  efforts  of  national 
authorities and cross-sectoral cooperation.  

In its resolution of 18 January 2018 on the implementation of the Youth Employment 
Initiative in the Member States, the European Parliament calls on the Member States 
to establish appropriate and tailored outreach strategies to reach all NEETs and to take 
an  integrated  approach  towards  making  more  individualised  assistance  and  services 
available to support  young people facing multiple barriers. The European Parliament 
emphasises  the  need  to  improve  the  quality  of  offers  under  the  Youth  Employment 
Initiative and Youth Guarantee and calls for a future discussion about the eligible age 
bracket. 

(11)  The European Green Deal45 is the EU’s new growth strategy that aims to transform the 
EU  into  a  fair  and  prosperous  society,  with  a  modern,  resource-efficient  and 
competitive  economy  where  there  are  no  net  emissions  of  greenhouse  gases  in  2050 
and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. 

41 
42 
43 
44 
45 

OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1–13 
OJ C 88, 27.3.2014, p. 1–4 
OJ C 153, 2.5.2018, p. 1–6 
OJ L 261I, 14.10.2019 
COM/2019/640 final 

EN 

15 

  EN 

                                                 
(12)  To help repair the economic and social damage brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, 
kick-start  the  European  recovery,  and  protect  and  create  jobs,  the  European 
Commission has proposed a major recovery plan for Europe and the instrument ‘Next 
Generation  EU’  based  on  harnessing  the  full  potential  of  the  EU  budget46.  These 
resources will be crucial to support, among other areas, short-term measures to support 
employment,  including  youth  employment,  as  well  as  investments  in  longer-term 
policy reforms related to the labour market, social and education and training systems. 

(13) 

In  2013,  during  the  previous  economic  recession,  the  youth  unemployment  rate  (15-
24) was 24.4% in the EU and over 50% in some Member States, and there were 6.5 
million NEETs aged 15-24. In response, the Council Recommendation on establishing 
a Youth Guarantee was  adopted in  April 201347 – a major  coordinated active labour 
market policy intervention at the EU level. 

(14)  The  COVID-19  pandemic  has  spiralled  the  EU  into  an  unprecedented  economic 
recession,  which  is  likely  to  bring  back  dramatically  high  youth  unemployment  and 
NEET  rates.  The  EU  economy  is  expected  to  shrink  by  7.4%  in  2020,  the  deepest 
recession in its history and young people who were already in a precarious situation in 
the labour market will suffer most while those entering the workforce at this time will 
find it harder to secure their first job. It is therefore necessary to reinforce the Youth 
Guarantee in the light of the present crisis. 

(15)  Young people may have difficulties in the labour market because of the transitionary 
life periods they are going through, their limited or lack of professional experience. As 
past  recessions  show,  young  people  are  hit  harder  than  older,  more  experienced 
workers. During the previous crisis youth unemployment went up from 16.0% in 2008 
to  a  peak  of  24.4%  in  2013.  Young  women  are  also  more  likely  to  become  inactive 
due to caring responsibilities (those looking after children or dependent adults, as well 
as  those  with  other  personal  or  family  responsibilities).  Caring  responsibilities  as  a 
reason for inactivity is more than five times more prevalent among young women than 
it  is  among  young  men.  This  can  lead  to  an  increase  in  the  gender  employment  gap 
with lasting consequences throughout the life of women. 

(16)  Youth  unemployment  and  inactivity  can  result  in  permanent  scars,  such  as  an 
increased  risk  of  future  unemployment,  reduced  levels  of  future  earnings,  loss  of 
human  capital  and  intergenerational  transmission  of  poverty.  These  translate  into 
individual  hardship  and  bear  direct  and  indirect  costs  for  society  at  large.  They  also 
add  to  regional  inequalities,  with  young  people  for  instance  unable  to  secure  a 
sustainable  labour  market  integration  in  rural  or  remote  areas  and  trying  to  find 
opportunities elsewhere.  

(17)  On-going  developments  such  as  automation  and  digitalisation  of  production  and 
services continue to reshape the world of work. Young people are overrepresented in 
non-standard jobs such as platform or “gig” work, which may lack access to adequate 
social  protection.  Young  people  are  at  higher  risk  than  others  to  lose  their  jobs  to 
automation, as entry-level jobs tend to have a greater proportion of automatable tasks. 
At  the  same  time,  digital  technologies  create  new  jobs  and  increase  the  demand  for 
skills needed for the digital transformation in many sectors of the economy. 

46 
47 

COM(2020) 441 final/2; COM (2020) 456 final; COM (2020) 442 final. 
OJ C 120, 26.4.2013, p. 1–6.  

EN 

16 

  EN 

                                                 
(18) 

Investing  now  in  the  human  capital  of  young  Europeans  will  help  future-proof 
Europe’s  social  market  economies  to  cater  for  demographic  shifts  while  fully 
embracing  the  digital  age  and  the  growth  of  jobs  in  the  green  economy.  The  Union 
will  be  able  to  reap  the  full  benefits  of  an  active,  innovative  and  skilled  workforce 
while  avoiding  the  very  high  costs  of  having  young  people  neither  in  employment, 
education or training. 

(19)  A  reinforced  Youth  Guarantee  can  contribute  to  create  youth  employment  in 
recovering  from  the  economic  impact  of  the  pandemic  and  help  harness  the 
opportunities  arising  from  the  digital  and  green  transitions.  It  can  help  reducing 
persistent  scarring  effects  from  the  severe  slowdown  by  encouraging  firms  to  hire 
unemployed  youth  and by  providing training that eases  the matching of unemployed 
and inactive youth to vacancies. 

(20)  A  reinforced  Youth  Guarantee  should  ensure  that  all  young  people  receive  a  good-
quality offer of  employment, continued education, an apprenticeship  or a traineeship 
within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. To achieve 
this  ambition,  it  should  provide  young  people  with  a  path  towards  a  stable  labour 
market  integration  in  times  of  crisis  and  reach  out  and  activate  greater  numbers  of 
young people regardless of their background, making sure that none of them are  left 
behind.  It  should  strive  to  support  young  people  in  gaining  work  experience  and 
developing the right skills for a changing world of work, in particular those relevant to 
the green and digital transitions. Apprenticeship play an important role in this respect. 
There is a need to boost their supply and quality in order to strengthen their role in the 
recovery  phase.  Apprenticeships  prepare  young  people  for  jobs  that  are  in  high 
demand and thereby offer them a path towards stable labour market integration also at 
a local level. 

(21) 

In  the  2013  Council  Recommendation  on  establishing  a  Youth  Guarantee  Member 
States committed to ensure that all young people under the age of 25 years receive 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 
include  young  people  aged  25-29 
education.  Widening 
acknowledges that school-to-work transitions and a sustainable market integration are 
taking  longer  because  of  the  changing  nature  of  work  and  the  skills  in  demand, 
recognises  that  during  the  economic  downturn  due  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic  a 
bigger share of 25 to 29 year-olds will fall into unemployment and will need support. 
It also aligns with Member States youth related measures and programmes, which are 
generally available for young people between 15 and 29. 

the  age  bracket 

to 

(22)  NEETs  are  a  heterogeneous  group.  For  some  young  people  being  a  NEET  can  be  a 
symptom  of  multiple  and  engrained  disadvantages  and  may  indicate  a  longer-term 
disengagement  from  society.  Some  young  people  are  especially  vulnerable  for 
example  because  of  their  inadequate  education  or  training,  their  often  limited  social 
protection  coverage,  restricted  access  to  financial  resources,  precarious  work 
conditions  or  because  they  suffer  from  discrimination.  For  others,  being  a  NEET  is 
likely to be a temporary status since they face low barriers to labour market entry and 
have no inherent vulnerabilities (e.g. high-skilled young people or those already with 
significant and still relevant work experience). A reinforced Youth Guarantee should 
recognise  that  some  NEETs  may  require  a  lighter  approach  compared  to  the  more 
intensive,  lengthy  and  comprehensive  interventions  that  other,  more  vulnerable, 
NEETs  are  likely  to  necessitate  to  prevent  a  disproportionate  negative  impact  on 
vulnerable youth. 

EN 

17 

  EN 

(23)  More than one in five young people fail to reach a basic level of digital skills across 
the  EU,  with  low  educated  young  people  more  than  three  times  more  likely  to 
underachieve  in  digital  skills  than  their  higher  educated  counterparts48.  With  the 
recovery from the COVID-19 crisis accelerating the digital transition, the digital skills 
gap becomes a key determinant in the employability of young people and their ability 
to  seize  the  opportunities  stemming  from  this  transition.  Targeted  upskilling  helps 
young people respond to the growing demand for digital skills. 

(24)  Preparatory training during the first phase before taking up an offer, related to specific 
skill  domains  such  as  digital  or  green  skills,  should  be  part  of  a  reinforced  Youth 
Guarantee.  This  hands-on  training  can  be  a  stepping  stone  towards  a  full  vocational 
training  course,  a  taster  of  the  world  of  work,  or  supplement  existing  education  or 
work  experience  before  the  start  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  offer.  The  short-term, 
informal nature of such preparatory training, which should not prolong the duration of 
the four-month preparatory phase, distinguishes it from the offer. 

(25)  Effective coordination and partnerships across policy fields – employment, education, 
youth, social affairs, etc. – are crucial in terms of boosting quality employment as well 
as  education  and  training  opportunities,  apprenticeships  and  traineeships.  Integrated 
services (such as one-stop shops  or other models) offer  easier  access  to  services and 
benefits,  and  can  more  easily  provide  tailor-made,  flexible  and  more  responsive 
solutions  for  young  people  with  multidimensional  problems.  Integrated  services 
require  a  change  in  working  culture,  putting  young  people  at  the  centre  of  the 
interventions and breaking up administrative silos. 

(26)  The  reinforced  Youth  Guarantee  should  be  implemented  by  a  scheme  consisting  of 
supportive  measures,  and  should  be  geared  to  national,  regional  and 
local 
circumstances.  Such  schemes  should  take  into  account  the  diversity  of  the  Member 
States as regards the levels of youth unemployment and inactivity, institutional set-up, 
and capacity of the various labour market players. They should also take into account 
different  situations  as  regards  public  budgets  and  financial  constraints  in  terms  of 
allocation of resources and be continuously monitored and improved. 

(27)  Supportive  measures  can  be  financed  by  the  Union  funds.  The  Youth  Employment 
Initiative  2014-2020  (almost  EUR  9 billion  of  EU  contribution),  together  with 
additional European Social Fund investment, has been a key EU financial resource to 
support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. As part of the Recovery plan for 
Europe  and  the  instrument  ‘Next  Generation  EU’,  the  Recovery  and  Resilience 
Facility  and  REACT-EU  will  provide  additional  EU  funding  for  youth  employment 
measures. These efforts will be complemented in the 2021-27 financing period by the 
European  Social  Fund  Plus  which  will  support  the  full  range  of  employment, 
education and training measures of the reinforced Youth Guarantee.   

HEREBY RECOMMENDS THAT MEMBER STATES: 

(1) 

48 

ensure that all young people under the age of 30 years receive 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  line  with 
Principle 4 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. 

Annual 2019 averages from the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). The figures concern the 16 
to 29 age bracket. 

EN 

18 

  EN 

                                                 
The starting point for delivering the Youth Guarantee offer to a young person should 
be the registration with a Youth Guarantee provider. 

Youth  Guarantee  schemes  should  be  based  on  the  following  guidelines,  which  are 
structured  around  four  phases  (mapping,  outreach,  preparation  and  offer),  and 
organised  in  accordance  with  national,  regional  and  local  circumstances,  paying 
attention to the gender and diversity of the young people who are being targeted: 

Mapping 

Identifying the target group, available services and skills needs 

(2) 

(3) 

reinforce mapping systems to enable a more profound understanding of the diversity 
of  NEETs,  including  the  temporary  NEETs  negatively  affected  by  the  economic 
recession, as well as the longer-term NEETs who may belong to vulnerable groups; 

map  the  services  available  for  different  support  needs,  while  using  local  skills 
forecasts  (e.g.  informed  by  big  data  labour  market  intelligence)  to  identify  skills 
demanded on the labour market,  with  particular  attention to  regional labour market 
specificities  and  the  barriers  faced  by  young  people  living  in  rural,  remote  or 
disadvantaged urban areas; 

Enabling prevention through tracking and early warning systems 

(4) 

strengthen early warning systems and tracking capabilities to identify those at risk of 
becoming NEET, while contributing to preventing early leaving from education and 
training  (through  e.g.  more  flexible  learning  pathways  and  more  work-based 
learning), in cooperation with the education sector, parents, and local  communities, 
and with the involvement of youth policy, social and employment services; 

Outreach 

Raising awareness and targeting communication 

(5) 

(6) 

adopt  modern,  youth-friendly  and  local  information  channels  for  awareness  raising 
activities  among  both  temporary  and  longer-term  NEETs,  using  online  and  offline 
opportunities,  while  ensuring  the  involvement  of  young  people  and  local  youth 
organisations; 

use  a  recognisable  visual  style  for  all  communication,  based,  where  relevant,  on 
guidelines made available by the Commission, while ensuring accessible and easily 
understandable information on all types of support available, for instance through a 
single web portal in the language(s) of the country; 

Stepping up the outreach to vulnerable groups 

(7) 

strengthen  the  focus  on  longer-term  NEETs  (e.g.  those  belonging  to  vulnerable 
groups,  including  those  with  disabilities),  using  specifically  trained  mediators  and 
complementary strategies such as youth work, young “ambassadors” and cooperation 
with partners that are in contact with (specific groups of) young people. Explore, for 
the hardest-to-reach, coordination with the provision of benefits, as well as the use of 
mobile units; 

Preparation 

Using profiling tools to tailor individualised action plans 

(8) 

improve profiling and screening tools and practices to match needs and responses, by 
adopting  a  multivariate,  gender-sensitive  approach  to  profiling  and  screening  that 

EN 

19 

  EN 

takes  into  account  a  young  person’s  preferences  and  motivation,  barriers  and 
disadvantages, including reasons for being unemployed or inactive; 

(9) 

ensure that Youth Guarantee providers have adequate staff capacity, with specifically 
trained  staff  to  operate  and  improve  profiling  and  screening  tools,  and  to  develop 
individualised  action  plans  that  take  into  account  person-centred  needs  and 
responses; 

Performing counselling, guidance and mentoring 

(10) 

(11) 

step  up  the  preparatory  phase  with  person-centred  counselling,  guidance  and 
mentoring by trained advisors that responds to the needs of the individual concerned 
and  pays  due  attention  to  gender  bias  and  other  forms  of  discrimination.  Prepare 
NEETs  for  the  changing  nature  of  work,  be  it  through  career  advice  or 
entrepreneurship  support,  while  adopting  one-to-one  support,  motivational  work, 
advocacy and/or peer support for longer-term NEETs; 

allow  for  a  more  holistic  approach  to  counselling,  guidance  and  mentoring  by 
referring  young  people  to  partners  (e.g.  education  and  training  institutions,  social 
partners, youth organisations, as well as supporting youth work and social services), 
who can help them overcome other barriers to employment; 

Enhancing digital skills with preparatory training 

(12) 

(13) 

assess the digital skills of all NEETs who register in the Youth Guarantee by using 
the  European  Digital  Competence  Framework  (DigComp)  and  the  available 
(self)assessment tools, ensuring that, on the basis of gaps identified, all young people 
are offered a dedicated preparatory training to enhance their digital skills; 

safeguard the validation and recognition of (non-formal, informal) learning outcomes 
from  the  preparatory  training  by  using  validation  arrangements  embedded  in 
education  and  training  systems,  existing  tools  such  as  Europass,  as  well  as  micro-
credentials to enable a more modular approach to accumulating learning outcomes; 

Assessing, improving and validating other important skills 

ensure that the preparatory phase facilitates upskilling and re-skilling geared towards 
green  skills,  entrepreneurial  skills  and  career  management  skills,  using  existing 
competence  frameworks,  (self)assessment  tools  and  validation  tools  to  help  young 
people seize the opportunities of growing sectors and preparing them for the needs of 
the changing labour market; 

(14) 

Offer 

Making employment and start-up incentives work during the economic recession 

(15) 

use  targeted  and  well-designed  employment  incentives  –  such  as  wage  subsidies, 
recruitment  bonuses,  reduction  of  social  security  contributions,  tax  credits  or 
disability  benefits  –  and  start-up  incentives  to  create  good-quality  opportunities  for 
the sustainable integration of young people into the labour market; 

Aligning the offer to existing standards to ensure quality and equity 

(16) 

align  employment  offers  to  the  relevant  principles  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social 
Rights,  assuring the right  to  fair and equal  treatment regarding working  conditions, 
access to social protection and training, reasonable duration of probation periods and 
prohibiting abuse of atypical contracts; 

EN 

20 

  EN 

(17) 

(18) 

(19) 

ease  young  people’s  way  back  into  education  and  training  by  diversifying  the 
continued education offer (with e.g. flexible learning pathways, work-based learning, 
bridging  programmes  and  second  chance  programmes),  ensuring  the  validation  of 
non-formal and informal learning; 

intensify  support  to  apprenticeships  and  make  sure  offers  adhere  to  the  minimum 
standards 
for  Quality  and  Effective 
Apprenticeships; 

in  European  Framework 

laid  out 

ensure that traineeship offers adhere to the minimum standards laid out in the Quality 
Framework for Traineeships; 

Providing post-placement support and implementing feedback 

(20) 

expand continued post-placement support to adjust individualised action plans where 
needed,  using  the  opportunity  of  post-placement  feedback  to  ensure  a  quality  offer 
was provided; 

Crosscutting enablers 

Mobilising partnerships 

(21) 

strengthen  partnerships,  across  all  levels  of  government,  between  Youth  Guarantee 
providers  and  relevant  stakeholders,  such  as  employers,  education  and  training 
institutions,  social  partners,  youth  work, providers of solidarity  and civic activities, 
youth  organisations  and  other  civil  society  organisations;  formalise  protocols  for 
cooperation  between  Youth  Guarantee  providers  and  other  social  services  (e.g. 
childcare, healthcare, social housing, accessibility services); 

(22) 

promote  the  further  development  of  integrated  service  models,  such  as  one-stop 
shops,  joint  case  management  or  multidisciplinary  teams,  which  strengthen 
partnerships and enable a single point of contact for young people; 

Improving the data collection and monitoring of schemes 

(23) 

(24) 

step  up  efforts  to  enrich  follow-up  data  by  strengthening  systems  that  allow  young 
people to be tracked after taking up an offer, as well as after the offer concludes, in 
order to monitor long-term, sustainable labour market integration; 

encourage,  while  respecting  data  protection  rules,  the  wider  sharing  of  tracking, 
profiling and follow-up data between Youth Guarantee partners to improve support, 
which is of particular importance for the success of interventions targeting vulnerable 
NEETs; 

Making full and optimal use of funds  

(25) 

(26) 

dedicate  adequate  national  resources  towards  the  implementation  of  the  policy 
measures put forward by the reinforced Youth Guarantee ensuring that they are well 
targeted to the individual needs of any young person; 

make  full  and  optimal  use  of  the  current  EU  instruments  under  cohesion  policy, 
notably the YEI, ESF and ERDF (2014-2020) and mobilise a significant share of the 
additional funds provided under REACT-EU, as well as the ESF+ and ERDF (2021-
2027),  to  support  youth  employment,  prevent  unemployment  and  inactivity  among 
young people and implement relevant policy reforms; 

(27) 

exploit  the  full  potential  of  complementing  national  funding  efforts  with  other  EU 
funding  sources  that  could  contribute  to  implementing  the  reinforced  Youth 

EN 

21 

  EN 

Guarantee, notably the Recovery and Resilience Facility, EAFRD, InvestEU, AMIF, 
the Erasmus+ programme and the Technical Support Instrument; 

HEREBY WELCOMES THE COMMISSION’S INTENTION TO: 

Improving the data collection and monitoring of schemes 

(28) 

(29) 

continue to support the quantitative monitoring of  Youth Guarantee schemes based 
on  the  commonly  agreed  Indicator  Framework,  proposing  adjustments  where 
appropriate in light of the current Council Recommendation; 

improve, from  2022 onwards, the  granularity with which the NEET target  group is 
assessed,  profiting  from  the  improvements  to  the  EU  Labour  Force  Survey  yielded 
by Regulation (EU) 2019/1700; 

Monitoring implementation  

(30) 

(31) 

monitor  the  implementation  of  Youth  Guarantee  schemes  pursuant  to  this 
Recommendation 
the  Employment 
Committee within the framework of the European Semester;  

the  multi-lateral  surveillance  of 

through 

regularly  engage  with  Member  States  in  the  context  of  the  European  Semester  to 
ensure monitoring of a continuous national investment in youth employment policies 
and  programmes;  address,  where  appropriate,  country-specific  recommendations  to 
Member States; 

(32) 

report  regularly  to  the  Employment  Committee  on  developments  concerning  the 
implementation and results of Youth Guarantee schemes; 

Raising awareness and targeting communication 

(33) 

strengthen support to Member States’ awareness raising and communication efforts 
and  reinforce  the  dissemination  of  results  and  good  practice  examples  among 
Member States. 

The  Council  Recommendation  of  22  April  2013  on  establishing  a  Youth  Guarantee  is 
replaced. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

22 

  EN