Debate: Empowering European Youth: post-pandemic employment and social recovery
Date: THURSDAY, 20 JANUARY 2022
Speaker: Věra Jourová
Language: EN

As President von der Leyen said in her State of the Union speech last September, our youth is our most educated, talented and motivated generation, and Europe needs all of its youth. It is our duty to do everything in our power to protect their future. This is why this year is the European Year of Youth. It is dedicated to empowering our young people and setting a legacy for future generations beyond 2022. It is being co-created with young people. The European Youth Portal is one of the key hubs to gather ideas and initiatives throughout the whole year of 2022.  When it comes to employment and social policies, we are not starting from scratch. The Reinforced Youth Guarantee commits Member States to ensure that all young people under the age of 30 receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving education.  This recommendation of the Commission was adopted by the Council in record time in 2020 and received a warm welcome by this House, which held a debate and adopted a resolution with a huge majority in October 2020. Last year, in October, the Council of the EU Employment Committee (EMCO) reviewed work so far in Member States. Challenges remain in many areas, but there is a more systematic approach in tackling youth unemployment and inactivity.  The Union is doing its part. The new ESF+ Regulation requires that Member States with a NEET rate above the EU average allocate at least 12.5 % of their national allocation to youth employment measures. Furthermore, the Commission is setting up ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve). ALMA is based on other successful initiatives financed by the European Social Fund in Member States. It is proof that we do not leave anyone behind, as ALMA is a cross-border youth mobility scheme for the most disadvantaged young people aged 18 to 30, those who are not in employment, education or training and who are most vulnerable with regard to their chances of accessing work or training for either individual or structural reasons.  Our young people need education and training systems that are adapted to the societies of today and tomorrow. Green, digital and entrepreneurial skills must be the cornerstone of our approach. In 2020, Member States agreed on an ambitious recommendation to modernise and improve the vocational educational system. This will be crucial for young people to get their feet into the labour market, in particular through apprenticeship.  There are also other ambitious initiatives in the skills domain, such as individual learning accounts and micro—credentials that are innovative approaches that will be of benefit for young people. Thanks to the European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills, since November 2020 six large—scale partnerships have been established in the sectors of automotive, microelectronics, aerospace and defence, offshore renewable energy, shipbuilding and maritime technology, textiles, clothing, leather and footwear. Over 500 organisations have pledged to create a culture of learning in their workplaces, including via apprenticeships. Together, these alliances will support 1.5 million people. Traineeships can also be helpful instruments for young people, provided they meet certain minimum quality requirements, which we are currently reviewing.  Last, but certainly not least, we need to address mental health as a priority and stop the stigma around it. Young people, in particular, have paid a very high price during the pandemic. This is an area where the Union has limited ability to act, but let me point out that cohesion policy funds do allow Member States to invest in ensuring equal access to healthcare, fostering the resilience of health systems and promoting the transition from institutional to family and community-based care. The instruments and resources are there, and so is the political will.  I know I can count fully on the European Parliament’s contribution to ensure that the European Year of Youth will be a success and empower our younger generation. Just to repeat what Clément Beaune said about the Conference on the Future of Europe, for a very good reason we devoted a lot of space and we encouraged a lot of young people to contribute in the very broad debate on how they see the future of Europe. The Conference is starting tomorrow, 21 January 2022, with the working groups and the plenary. I’m very much looking forward to meeting the young people here because this is a new wave of very fresh air.