Tackling youth unemployment in Europe: Conference Tackling youth unemployment in Europe: building a better future for young people 3rd Working Group Giving young people experience at work: providing high quality traineeships and apprenticeships and promoting geographical mobility Moderator Prof. Boguslavas Gruzevskis Vilnius, November 14-15, 2013

Unemployment rate in EU in 2011-2012 (%) Ilgalaikio nedarbo lygis sudaro virš 50% Source: „Eurostat“

Youth unemployment rate in EU in 2011-2012 (%) Source: „Eurostat“

Unemployment indicators in Lithuania in 2004–2011

Experience at work for youth (1) Countries with well-established apprenticeship systems and strong work-based learning tend to perform better in terms of facilitating the transition from school to work and keeping the rate of youth unemployment down (Germany, Austria); In many countries, academic education rather than vocational training remains the preferred option amongst young people and the quality and reputation of vocational programmes remains low.

Experience at work for youth (2) The ESF is often used to smooth school-to-work transitions such as through mentoring and personal advice, additional training and work placements including traineeships and apprenticeships; ESF is also being used to modernise and strengthen education and training systems. Making high quality apprenticeships and traineeships available to young people throughout the EU is a top priority.

Experience at work for youth (3) Effective apprenticeship and traineeship systems rely upon strong employer support “on the ground" to provide quality placements coupled with national/regional level partnerships between public, private and 3rd sectors. Successful traineeships deliver high-quality experiences for young people linked to qualifications and employment.

Experience at work for youth (4) Opportunities for young people to leave their native country and seek opportunities for work and training in other EU member states continue to be underdeveloped; Work-related transnational mobility is highly beneficial for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, taking them away from their home environment which can often constrain their personal development.

Presentations of good practice Round 1: Inga Ostendarp, Peter Rossel; Lee Pukkonen, Katrin Tamm; Ulrike Storost (European Commission). Round 2: Matthew Thomson; Vaidotas Levickas, Aiste Kumponaite; Ulrike Storost (European Commission).

The purpose of the working group to identify common challenges; to learn from good practice; to develop ideas for implementing ESF and YEI schemes that meet the needs in our own countries and region; what lessons can be learned, what can be done better???

Work in small groups. 40-45 min. Each table reports. 1 Work in small groups! 40-45 min. Each table reports. 1. Main challenges, problems? 2. Good practice, successful schemes, actions. Why? 3. What can we learn from these schemes? 4. Recommendations for ESF and YEI actions?

Tackling youth unemployment in Europe: Conference Tackling youth unemployment in Europe: building a better future for young people 3rd Working Group Giving young people experience at work: providing high quality traineeships and apprenticeships and promoting geographical mobility Moderator Prof. Boguslavas Gruzevskis Vilnius, November 14-15, 2013

Feedback from the working group KEY ISSUES (1): Four projects were presented: 1. The Challenge Abroad (Germany). Support of transnational mobility, vocational orientation, social integration; 2. Good practice (Lithuania). Matching and organization of internships on the national level.

Feedback from the working group KEY ISSUES (2): 3 Feedback from the working group KEY ISSUES (2): 3. Fifteen Cornwall (UK). Social enterprise in food production, raising aspiration; 4. Barriers and opportunities of successful internship program (Estonia). Research project; 5. Advice on apprenticeship and traineeship schemes. Ulrike Storost (EC).

Feedback from the working group MAIN PROBLEMS (1): 1 Feedback from the working group MAIN PROBLEMS (1): 1. Low value of vocational training in our societies. 2. Low inclusion and social activity of local employers? 3. Low level of information about the apprenticeships and traineeships possibilities and schemes.

Feedback from the working group MAIN PROBLEMS (2): 4 Feedback from the working group MAIN PROBLEMS (2): 4. Low level of political debates on this questions. 5. Orientation more to the process not to the outcomes. 6. Often narrow, not holistic learning and solutions. 7. The apprenticeships and traineeships for signature.

Feedback from the working group RECOMMENDATIONS (1): 1 Feedback from the working group RECOMMENDATIONS (1): 1. More spending for projects, not for selecting of projects; 2. More public relation actions to change understanding of vocational education and training; 3. Development of national internship databases (“Good practice” LT project).

Feedback from the working group RECOMMENDATIONS (2): 4 Feedback from the working group RECOMMENDATIONS (2): 4. Much more involvement of different actors; 5. Development of motivation measures for employers; 6. Vocational development + personal development (UK project) 7. International collaboration between projects, socially oriented employers and other actors.

SOMETHING MORE???