Androulla Vassiliou: "Europe´s future is in the hands of its younger generation"

For what reasons did you decide to launch this new initiative in addition to the existing programmes on mobility and youth? What added value do you seek? Youth on the Move initiative://

The focus on youth reflects the importance we attach to the role of young people in securing the future of Europe's economy and society. If we truly want every young person to realise his or her potential, it is vital that we all do what we can to help them get the best possible start in life - and that means a good education and training opportunities to enable them to succeed in the job market. Youth on the Move embodies this strong conviction.

Youth on the Move is not a new funding programme. It is a strategy that complements our existing mobility programmes. 85% of funding for mobility through the Lifelong Learning Programme is targeted at young people, teachers and trainers. However, the European Commission and the Member States can still do more to ensure even more young people can benefit from the opportunities that mobility offers.

At the same time, we recognise that mobility alone will not solve the challenges faced by young people. This is why the Youth on the Move strategy includes a range of actions to help Member States to improve education and training at all levels, as well as for those just entering the labour market or in the early stages of their career. Specific actions include new EU strategies to support Member States in tackling early school leaving and improving their higher education systems, new European quality standards for traineeships and placements and a new European pilot project – "Your First EURES Job" - to help young people gain work experience abroad.


Youth unemployment is particularly high, now at early 21%. Therefore most jobs are filled with trainees. How will this new initiative help to reverse this situation?

It is true that young people have been hit particularly hard by the economic crisis. Almost one in seven young people is not in work, education or training. In many Member States, the crisis has made the already difficult process of getting your first job even more difficult.

Education and training are vital to addressing youth unemployment. Young people need the right mix of skills to succeed in today's labour market. At present, too many leave school early, without qualifications, which then limits their ability to find a job and stay in employment. Lowering the share of early school leavers to under 10% is one of EU's main targets for 2020. At the same time, fewer than one in three young Europeans achieves a higher education qualification, even though studies show us that Europe will need more highly qualified workers in the future. Member States recently agreed to raise the number of people graduating from higher education or equivalent vocational education from the current level to 40% by 2020.

Youth on the Move also seeks to make things easier for young people entering the world of work. We have proposed new measures to help young people get the advice they need and improve access to practical work experience, especially through the support of the public employment services (job centres). We are also working with Member States to help them reform their employment rules, to make it easier for young people to get permanent jobs, rather than becoming stuck in a series of short-term positions.


It has been shown by studies that mobility and foreign language skills could be decisive for young people looking for a job. How can this initiative help to improve the situation on that respect?

The European Commission is committed to promoting multilingualism and our programmes actively support language learning and new techniques for teaching. I would like to stress that while learning mobility is in itself a fantastic way to improve language skills, it is also much more. Time spent studying, training or volunteering abroad allows young people to gain a range of skills and experiences that are both highly valued by employers and essential for their participation in society. Employers attach considerable importance to team-working, adaptability and communication, as well as to foreign language skills. Mobility helps in developing all of these skills and contributes greatly to enhancing employability.


Very often the Commission is accused of launching initiatives and ideas without enough means to support them. As regards Youth on the Move, what will be the human and financial means dedicated to this initiative?

The European Union already spends a lot of money supporting youth education, training and employment. We can do more to support young people, not only by increased spending, but also by mobilising the financial and human resources the EU has at its disposal in the best possible way. Youth on the Move aims to ensure that the activities we fund work as effectively as possible. But we are not alone. Education and training is primarily the responsibility of Member States and the policy and spending choices they make have a fundamental impact on the quality of education and training in Europe. The European Commission will do its utmost to help national and regional governments implement good policies. We are also calling upon them to support an increase in the EU budget for the next generation of education and training programmes, so the EU can play its role as effectively as possible.


What are the next steps concerning the Youth on the Move initiative? How is the European Parliament going to be involved in this process?

When it comes to mobility, I will not hide the fact that in order to allow more young people to benefit from study, training or work experience abroad, additional money will be needed for our future education and training programmes. I believe that the mobility opportunities offered to young people through EU programmes provide a very clear added value. I will be forthright in arguing my case to all stakeholders. I believe that the European Parliament shares my views and will support our future funding needs for our education and youth programmes.


In every field we are concerned about the post 2013 perspectives. How will the existing programmes (Erasmus, Youth in Action etc.) be modified to adapt to the priorities of Youth on the Move after 2013? Are you going to create a new programme with specific funds?

Our programmes - Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Comenius and Youth in Action - have enabled thousands of young people to go out into the world to learn, work, and share experiences. Our programmes are also used by many countries outside Europe as benchmarks for setting up their own mobility schemes. This is why the new programmes for the period after 2013 must provide continuity and build on the successes we have achieved – hopefully with additional financial resources.

We have already started working on the new programmes to better accommodate the needs of our young people in the longer term. To ensure that we deliver, I want to involve young people directly in this process - in finding the best solutions to their own challenges in preparing for working life and life in general. Meaningful participation and a meaningful dialogue with young Europeans can only result in better programmes.

I encourage all with a stake or interest in education and training and mobility to give their views in our public consultation on the next generation of programmes. The consultation is open until end November and you can contribute via http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/consult/index_en.html..


What message could you send to young people concerned by this initiative?

Europe´s future – its competitiveness, its environmental sustainability and its social cohesion – is in the hands of its younger generation. It is today's young people who will solve the challenges of an ageing society, of increased global competition and climate change. With Youth on the Move, we intend to help young people face these challenges with confidence. We intend to make a difference in their lives by providing as many people as possible with an opportunity to benefit from learning mobility. Youth on the Move also sends a strong message that we believe in their potential, their drive, their energy, and their talents.

I encourage you to also visit our new website dedicated to Youth on the Move where you can find out more about opportunities to work and study abroad – and testimonials from those who have had such experiences: http://europa.eu/youthonthemove/index_en.htm


Credits (c) European Union, 2010
[