Commissioner Vassiliou launches the “Youth on the Move” initiative

“Youth on the Move”, that is the name given to this new initiative to address youth mobility and presented last week (September, 15th) by the European Commission. This initiative aims to improve youth employment perspectives, to adapt education and training to their needs, and to inform young people on the European grants available to study or volunteer abroad.

These are interesting and essentials ideas while young generations are in the front line to face the effects of the economic crises.

The general objective of this initiative is to help young people to gain knowledge and skills to reach the labour market demand criteria. More specifically, the proposed measures tend to modernize education and training and match them with the young people and employers needs, through the support to training and employment mobility. In order to reach these goals, the current programs will be modified and reorganized, as well as recommendations to the Member States sent, in terms of labour market reform and labour public service support.

This initiative is clearly in line with the objectives of the EU 2020 strategy to face youth unemployment now at early 21%.

“Youth on the Move” proposes 28 key actions presented on a specific website which centralize information on how to study and work abroad, with advice on grants and individual rights.

By way of example, the Commission is considering the possibility to create, in collaboration with the European Investment Bank, a European loan system towards students in order to support those who wish to study or train in another country, or the creation of a “Youth on the Move” card which would offer several benefits for young people.

At last, the Commission wishes to launch at the autumn 2011 a European competence passport which will gather all the acquired competences in a comparable and transparent way. Besides this is one of the most important proposals, indeed quite often education credits or experiences gathered in one country are not always recognized in another one, which implies critical situation for young people who return backhome.

Generation 112 fully supports the idea behind this proposal and is impatient to see the concrete actions which will follow, and the related means. Indeed, Europe needs to provide itself with the tools needed to realise this ambitious plans to come with a new impetus for youth.


Credits (c) European Union, 2010