Employment MEPs approve plans to help more young people to work or training
More unemployed youths will be helped to work or training, thanks to plans approved by the EP's employment committee on 23 April. It will allow more people to qualify for a proposed youth guarantee, entitling them to a job, training or an apprenticeship if they have been unemployed for more than four months. This will be a welcome boost at a time when one in four young people in the EU is out of work. Find out the facts about youth unemployment in our infographic.
Background
Parliament has been calling for an EU-wide youth guarantee for years and in 2010 adopted a resolution urging the Commission to come up with a proposal. The Commission has now included a youth guarantee in its proposal for a Youth Employment Initiative.
Half of the funding for the Youth Employment Initiative would come from the European Social Fund, which the EU uses to promote full employment, enhance productivity and quality at work, increase workers' mobility within the Union, improve training and education as well as promote social inclusion. The fund is about to be renewed for the years 2014-2020.
Adopted changes
Under the original proposal, the youth guarantee would only apply to young people aged 15-25 living in regions with a youth unemployment rate of more than 25% in 2012
The employment committee proposes to extend it to young people up to 30 living in regions with a youth unemployment rate of more than 20%, meaning that many more people will be able to qualify.
Next steps
The proposal for a Youth Employment Initiative will still need to be approved by all MEPs during a plenary session as well as by the Council before it can enter into force.
