The profile of NEETs and policy measures in ETF Partner Countries

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1 The profile of NEETs and policy measures in ETF Partner Countries Keeping Young People in Employment, Education and/or Training: Common challenges - Shared Solutions MADLEN SERBAN, ETF DIRECTOR Bucharest, March 2014,

2 What is the ETF? Agency of the European Union Vision To make vocational education and training in the partner countries a driver for lifelong learning and sustainable development, with a special focus on competitiveness and social cohesion Mission To help transition and developing countries to harness the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems in the context of the EU s external relations policy

3 Potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* (UNSCR 1244/1999) Candidate countries: former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument countries - ENP South: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Israel Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument countries - ENP East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Russia

4 Socio-economic context in the ETF Partner Countries Most countries are characterized by low net job creation in their economies Impact of the global economic crisis is combined with a slow and protracted economic restructuring Some countries also experience important political changes Result: poor labour market functioning and difficult transition of youth from school to work

5 Young people in this complex socioeconomic environment Young people need to be equipped with skills and knowledge that prepare them to deal with change Policy makers have to work (and are working) for the modernisation of their E&T system to bring them closer to present and future demands Many young people are exposed to joblessness, lack of (attractive) training opportunities, lack of enabling conditions for becoming active in the labour market Adaptation takes time!

6 The size of NEETs is double than the EU average (Eurostat definition) Sources: Netherlands, EU28, Bulgaria, Turkey: Eurostat ; Albania, Kosovo: National Statistical Offices; Serbia: World Bank Development Report 2013; Armenia, FYROM, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine: ETF calculations based on ILO SWTS. Year 2010: Serbia; 2011: Kosovo; 2013: Moldova, Palestine, Tunisia, Ukraine. *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence- in the rest of the website Kosovo'

7 NEETs rate increases mostly at the ages of years old Sources: Turkey: Eurostat; FYROM, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt: ETF calculations based on ILO SWTS surveys. Year: 2013: Moldova, Palestine, Tunisia, Ukraine.

8 Females are more likely to be a NEET, esp. in South Mediterranean Sources: Turkey: Eurostat; Serbia, Kosovo: National Statistical Offices; FYROM, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt: ETF calculations based on ILO SWTS surveys. Year: 2010: Serbia; 2011: Kosovo;2013: Moldova, Palestine, Tunisia, Ukraine; Age range 15-24: Kosovo, Serbia. *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence- in the rest of the website Kosovo'

9 NEETs are heterogeneous groups, gender determines the differences Source: ETF calculations based on ILO School to Work Transition Surveys

10 The higher educated has less chance to became NEETs Source: ETF calculations based on ILO School to Work Transition Surveys

11 A lot to do in secondary education level, esp. in vocational education Education helps youth in their transition from school to the labour market: The higher the education level, the lower the risk of becoming NEETs Highly educated people are nevertheless exposed as well This is a double cause for secondary education (VET included) to be modernised Early school leavers are more likely to become NEET, particularly if they are vulnerable due to other reasons (e.g. gender) This implies the need to work on prevention of dropouts

12 Steps to elaborate and develop targeted policy measures Identification of the risk factors/ reasons of vulnerability Identification of sub-groups of the NEETs Elaboration of targeted policy measure STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3

13 STEP 1: Risk factors to become NEETs in Partner Countries No education or low educational attainment (illiterates, early school leavers, drop-outs) Gender (being female is a risk factor itself) Low employability / lack of necessary skills (limited value of general secondary education) Institutional, logistical and transitional barriers to employment Poor socio-economic background from family Health status / disability problems Ethnic/ religious/ Roma background

14 STEP 2: Identification of sub-groups of the NEETs and their vulnerabilities Some NEETs sub groups are highly vulnerable and often remain out of the analysis with traditional labour market indicators e.g. inactives, family carers, discouraged workers who no longer look for jobs, disable youth, inactive women who take care of their family Most policy measures target mainly the unemployed How to make the vulnerable groups visible? Tackling information gap Raising awareness of policy-makers and encourage governments to develop new policy interventions

15 STEP 3: Elaboration/ development of targeted policy measures Prevention Early intervention through good quality and relevance of education /VET systems Reintegration Employability measures, school-towork transition measures, employment measures Compensation Social assistance and inclusion measures and financial incentives Monitoring and early warning system (e.g. Montenegro, Turkey) Alternative learning and innovative teaching methods (e.g. SR, AL, MO, TR) Raising ceiling of compulsory education (e.g. TR, FYROM) Career guidance (e.g. TR) Subsidies and parental engagement (e.g. SR, BIH) Improve VET and making it more attractive (e.g. ME, TR) Financial incentives (e.g. SR) Opportunities for second chance education and training (e.g. TN, AL, KS) Apprenticeships (e.g. DZ, MOR, TN, TR, ISR) Internships (e.g. JOR, LEB) Work experience opportunities (e.g. MOR) Provision of integrated services to youth (e.g. EGY, TR, PAL) Incentives to employers (e.g. MOR, TN) Entrepreneurship support (e.g. MOR, DZ, BIH) Work-family reconciliation measures (e.g. ARM, ME, RU, JOR) Support to mobility (e.g. FYROM, TR) Financial allowances for poorest families (e.g. TN) Financial support for kids (e.g. FYROM, AL, TR, EGY, TN, DZ) Inclusion measures (e.g. FYROM) Removing barriers to employment for young people with special needs (e.g. LYB, ME, AL)

16 How to tackle with NEETs: Policy options and tools Policy options: Prevention measures mainly focus on education/ VET Reintegration measures are to facilitate transition through Active Labour Market Policies Compensation measures are mainly social support actions to counteract socio-economic disadvantage Partnerships among actors at all levels and coordinated action is key for addressing the challenge of NEETs The (participatory) governance of NEETs: National policies are needed for a strategic/comprehensive approach to NEETs But NEETs could be best addressed at local level

17 Challenges and recommendations for addressing NEETs in the future Tackle information gaps: better analyse the phenomenon (extent and nature) and better identify sub-groups of NEETs and their specific vulnerabilities to develop appropriate policies Prioritisation of actions: Prevention measures, in particular on early school leavers and modernization of secondary education including VET (it takes time!) Reintegration + compensation measures are also necessary

18 Many thanks