EPP : SMEs on the front line in fighting youth unemployment

According to MEP Plura, education in the workplace, dual system education, high-quality placements or individually-tailored guidance are still insufficiently used. More still needs to be done in the creation of partnerships between education and business, as well as to engage young people and the organisations representing their interests. This is crucial in the process of gaining new skills.

'Young people who enter the labour market now represent the 'Generation Y'. They have been raised in an era of rapid technological progress and their potential talents, but also their priorities and core values, ​​differ significantly from those characterising the previous generation. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons the potential of the Y generation is still not fully understood and exploited. It is therefore important to invest in programmes that make it easier for employers and employment services to better understand the advantages, opportunities and potential of the new generation,' added Marek Plura.

'Dramatically high youth unemployment poses a serious threat to the economic and social future of Europe. We therefore need properly-targeted policies and instruments for developing skills, which would improve the situation of young people in the labour market,' he said.

The report also highlights equal opportunities and support for youth from disadvantaged groups (including the families affected by poverty, immigrants and young people with disabilities) in obtaining appropriate professional and social skills and individual counselling.