Conference: EU Needs Better Environment for Employing Youth

Brdo pri Kranju, 25 April

Participants of the "Jobs for Youth - Prosperity for All" conference, which was held in Brdo pri Kranju on Friday, agreed that it is of a key importance for the EU to create an environment which would enable the young people to develop their potential.

The conference also concluded that successful employment depends on the efficiency of the transition to the labour market, mobility and flexibility and balancing between labour and family.
"Europe must invest in the future, and this is why this conference was dedicated to the young and to improving their position in society, with an emphasis on the inclusion in the labour market," Labour Minister Marjeta Cotman told the press after the conference.
Although seven million jobs were created in the EU between 2005 and 2007, the Lisbon Strategy failed to reduce the unemployment rate among the population aged between 15 and 24. According to the European Commission, the average unemployment rate for this group in 2006 stood at 17.4%, while this rate in Slovenia in 2007 was 13.6%.
The common goal of the entire EU is to achieve a higher employment rate among the young, and this requires a faster transition from schools to the labour market, better mobility and constant adjusting to the needs of the labour market, said Cotman, pointing to the importance of lifelong learning.
"Europe needs the young for its future," said Director General for Education and Culture at the European Commission Nikolaus van der Pas, adding that the situation regarding the young on the labour market is not as it should be.
He emphasised that the average employability rate for the young stands at 35%, while the EU's objective is to increase the figure to 70%. According to van der Pas, youth unemployment has a negative influence on their perception of their role in the society and impacts competitiveness and productiveness of the EU economy.

Conference: EU Needs Better Environment for Employing Youth

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