Youth Guarantee
Four months is all it takes! At least according to the largest EU youth employment initiative, promising that every young person who is not in education, employment, or training (NEET) will be provided with an offer within four months.
We have been present since the very inception of the Youth Guarantee in 2013 💪
Lighting the way forward
The Youth Guarantee was designed as a promise to Europe's young people, a commitment to fight youth unemployment and ensure smoother transitions from education to work.
It aims to ensure that every young European is provided a quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship, or a traineeship within the crucial four-month period.
At EU level it is funded by the European Social Fund+, and member states can supplement European funding with their own national resources.
How does it work?
Each member state has an implementation plan, resulting in a variety of approaches across Europe. This flexibility allows for tailored solutions but makes it harder to track overall progress. Monitoring happens both nationally and across Europe.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Youth Guarantee was strengthened in 2020 through the Council Recommendation A Bridge to Jobs by extending the age limit to include young people under 30. It also prioritises personalised approaches, recognising that young NEETs are a diverse group and one-size-fits-all approaches are not the most efficient. This Council Recommendation is, however, a non-binding instrument.
Real solution or false promise?
The Youth Guarantee is celebrated across Europe, and it has the true potential to support young people finding a new pathway and to be a force for social inclusion, but it's not perfect.
Its success remains limited by poor mapping and outreach, mismatch between young people's skills and their offers as well as low quality of the offers. The European Council's recommendation doesn't enforce strict quality standards, resulting in uneven programme outcomes and opportunities. Regional differences and gaps in implementation persist, particularly when it comes to outreach to rural areas and those who need it the most. One of the main issues facing youth employment today is definitely precarious contracts. The Youth Guarantee should be a force to promote quality employment, instead of an endless loop of low quality offers.
That's why there's an urgent need to fix these issues to ensure the Youth Guarantee truly delivers on its promise and promotes social inclusion.
Pathways to improvement
Here's our key recommendations, to enhance the Youth Guarantee:
At EU level
Establish stronger links between the Youth Guarantee and other initiatives and strategies
Allocate adequate funding for the Youth Guarantee and turn it into a permanent instrument
Leverage EU funds by adopting binding quality standards
Ensure adequate governance, monitoring, and evaluation
At member states level
Reinforce the capacity and training of public employment services
Effective outreach
Prioritise personalised approaches and ensure follow-up support
Extend low-threshold integrated services models
Foster community building and involve youth organisations
Ensure access to social benefits
Collect disaggregated data
Quality Standards for the Youth Guarantee
Too often, the offers provided by the Youth Guarantee are limited to low-paid and temporary positions. The Youth Guarantee should help young people to access quality opportunities, uphold their social rights, and allow them to live independently.
Priority is given to offers of full-time, permanent contracts.
The contract gives the young person full access to social security systems.
No unpaid internships or apprenticeships under the Youth Guarantee. The wage must be a living one.
Reasonable accommodation is provided if the person needs workplace adjustments to carry out their tasks.
We should strive for safe and healthy workplaces. Discrimination of any grounds must be combatted.
Employers cannot take advantage of Youth Guarantee schemes for job replacement and don’t abuse temporary contracts.
Access to a trade union representation.
A supervisor is responsible for monitoring the young person’s progress. Credits and skills acquired must be duly certified.
Key Documents and Resources
Open Policy Documents
Open Research studies and publications
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