Key points
The measures adopted by the social partners should be based on the following key objectives:
- persuading national governments to carry out appropriate reforms;
- using all available means, in particular programmes supported by the European Structural Funds , to give all young people high-quality and properly paid employment;
- shortening the transition period between leaving school and starting working life proper;
- helping young people to make constructive use of periods of inactivity whilst unemployed or whilst looking for their first job;
- assisting the integration of the most vulnerable groups of young people;
- ensuring that work can be reconciled with personal and family life;
- striking the appropriate balance between flexibility and security;
- ensuring better cooperation between businesses, secondary schools and universities;
- providing incentives for entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation;
- enhancing the quality of apprenticeships and making them more attractive;
- promoting measures to prevent long-term unemployment amongst the younger age-groups;
- informing young people of their economic and social rights.
The areas for action are many and varied, but can be divided into seven main groups:
- Education: working at the national, regional and local levels to establish closer links with the world of work.
- Vocational training: taking part in the design and organisation of vocational training schemes, encouraging personal development and the acquisition of social skills.
- Traineeships: offering traineeships as part of the school curriculum, drawing up codes of conduct on working conditions and pay for trainees.
- Collective bargaining: integrating the rights of young people as fully-fledged citizens into consultation and social dialogue.
- Third-sector activities: working together with youth organisations, promoting and publicising networks that facilitate contact between young people and the world of work.
- Good practice: promoting the exchange of good practice.
- Mobility (both in the European Union and in businesses): encouraging people to learn other languages , providing exchanges of work experience on the basis of guaranteeing workers' rights.