Problem behind the solution: young job seekers young people between have completed only basic education young people are not employed, in education and training or in activation measures (NEETs) 1 Youth Guarantee in Finland

2 The solution: Youth Guarantee The social guarantee Each young person under 25 and recently graduated people under 30 will be offered a job, a traineeship, a study place, or a period in a workshop or rehabilitation within three months of becoming unemployed. An educational guarantee: 1. Target group: Every person completing basic education. Guarantee: a place in upper secondary school or vocational education apprenticeship training a youth workshop rehabilitation or a place in some other form of study. 2. Target group: Youth under 30 that hold no qualification or degree with the opportunity to complete a vocational qualification or a study module. Solution: Skills programme Training in educational institute or apprenticeship training. Arranged in 2013–2016. Aim is to complete a vocational or specialist vocational qualification or initial vocational education as part of the programme.

Not a separate law, but set of amendment and public-private-people partnership 3 Ministries: employment, education, social and health Enterprises and other employers Social partners Youth organisation s, student organisation s Third sector Municipalitie s, education institutions, other service providers The Youth guarantee will be based on cooperation of Officials: both state and municipality authorities Business, Associations, where young themselves are active creators of their own future. Open-minded changes to working methods are needed.

This is how it works More education More study places in vocational education Regional re-distribution of the study places according to the changes in the age groups Changes of the acceptance criteria for vocational education and training Higher training compensation (800 € per month) for employers for apprenticeships Temporary “Skill programme” for young adults in 2013–2016: additional places will be targeted for those year olds who have performed only comprehensive school 4 Additional resources for young job seekers - More career counselling opportunities in the employment offices - Permanent establishment of the so called Chance card (wage subsidy card) for lowering the employers’ threshold for hiring young people and supporting active job seeking (700 €/month, 10 months) - More training and language courses and counselling for young immigrants Local youth work networks - Municipal responsibility will be increased in counselling comprehensive school graduates - Outreach youth work will be widened to the whole country - Youth workshops will be widened to the whole country

Funding 5 An educational guarantee 24M € / year Employment services 28M € / year Outreach youth work 8M € / year Establish a skills programme for young adults without vocational education 27-52M € / year (2013–2016) Enhancing the guidance and counseling services for adults 2M € / year

Problems 6 Since Youth Guarantee isn't a law, its implementation relies on the willingness of the municipalities to act. Huge differences between different municipalities Not too much extra resources for implementing Youth Guarantee. The communication of the guarantee hasn't been that great. Different stakeholders still remain unsure of their role in the implementation of the guarantee

Results 7 At the end of April 2013 there were unemployed young people (age 15-24) in Finland (April 2012: ) At the end of April 2013 there were unemployed recently graduated young people (age 25-29) in Finland (April 2012: 1925) This means that of those younger than 25 at the job market, 24.4 % are unemployed (April 2012: 23.5 %) It is important to remember that only about 12 % of all 15- to 24-year-olds are unemployed. Unemployment statistics do not include young people who are doing something else, e.g. studying, and are thus not part of the active workforce. Overall unemployment rate in Finland is 9 %

Results 8 Average unemployment time for young people is about 11 weeks. This is much better than for older age groups. Most of the unemployed young people have completed only basic education or vocational training. There has been a 36 % increase in academic unemployment compared to This means that currently a little bit over 10 % of all unemployed people have an academic degree.

Results 9 Between January and April 2013, 93.1 % of those who have signed up as unemployed, have got a plan to get job, education or training. In three months 71.8 % of those young people (15-24 years) are not unemployed anymore. Just graduated between years, 62.4 % are not unemployed after 3 months

Results 10 Of those who are not unemployed anymore, –5 % are in education –34 % are working –4 % are working with the help of some form of subsidy (chance card etc) –12 % are doing a ”work try-out” or a training period –2% are in rehabilitation –4 % are not part of the workforce anymore (pregnant, move abroad etc.) –39 % have disappeared from the statistics (no information) We have to know more about the last 39 %

Finnish Youth Cooperation – Allianssi is working for the Youth Guarantee Committee of the Youth Guarantee Committee of the communication of the Youth Guarantee Coordination of the youth organisations about Youth Guarantee Lobbying Project: Successful Youth Guarantee 11

Information Timo Mulari