The future of work blends flexibility, education, mentoring, say youth advocates [Advocacy Lab Content]

4 months ago 18

Europe’s youth now live in a new and challenging work culture, navigating employment scenarios that didn’t exist 20 years ago. Education-to-work network StartNet hosted a conference exploring a roadmap for youth employment and new European skills partnerships.

As the European Year of Skills came to an end, the education-to-work network StartNet organised an online conference focused on the education of young people and their transition into the workforce. It was hosted in collaboration with Connecting Europe and the European Policy Centre (EPC) on 7 May.

After collaborating with thousands of partners since 2017, the curtains are closing on the StarNet network but its pioneers hope that its legacy will spark future partnerships as the bridges between the networks it formed solidify.

Since that time, the EU has faced different challenges, not least youth unemployment which threatens European economies, civil society, and democracies.

Employment transition

Speaking at the conference, European Youth Forum member Natalia Kallio explained how the concept of work has changed, outlining the empowerment of young people’s transition to the workforce.

Kallio gave the example of platform work which is something that didn’t exist 20 years ago and elaborated on how young people are now experiencing these new forms of working conditions.

Asked about whether that means the strategies that might have worked for younger job seekers in the past are still applicable today, Kallio said that Europe’s youth currently faces an employers’ market. Arguing that there needs to be an economic system that fits young people, Kallio linked her point to the scourge of unpaid internships – one of the European Youth Forum’s longstanding discreet scandals.

“It costs around €1,000 a month to do an unpaid internship in Europe,” she said, “Which means that most likely it’s only the ones who have money or have families who can support them who can work for free,” Kallio added that it’s these people who then end up in European positions or make advances early in their career.

“So, I think there are many barriers when it comes to making your career or finding your way in general. And I think it’s all linked to this capitalist system,” Kallio argued, advocating for young people to be included at the table during discussions on the topic.

Don’t feel represented, won’t vote

European parliamentarian Vânia Neto (EPP) believes that young people aren’t represented enough in the Parliament and urged people to vote in the June elections.

“This is a basic principle of democracy, but if you do not feel represented, you also tend not to feel very compelled to go and vote. So I think that we all need to have this message that youth is a priority for Europe,” Neto said.

She added that decisions surrounding the digital and green transitions can’t only be made by older people but that young people need to be involved as well.

“I think this is very important. I hope all parties and members that come in the next parliament will keep this in mind,” said the Neto.

Language, education, culture

Dr Elke Kaschl Mohni, Regional Director for Southwest Europe and Delegate for European Affairs at the Goethe-Institut, highlighted some of her institute’s achievements including its work in the fields of language, education, and cultural work, where they imparted “skills needed to navigate the increasingly complex world today and keep up with technological and environmental change.”

She also mentioned some of the partnerships the project built, including programmes with EU commissioners, MEPs, policymakers, and young people.

With the elections around the corner, Kaschl Mohni said this was an opportune moment to take stock of the situation concerning the education of young people and their transition to the labour market.

In a recorded message, Stiftung Mercator’s Europe Director, Dr Magdalena Kirchner, said that over the past years, they’ve seen that this transition is not becoming any easier, noting youth unemployment in Europe is currently more than twice as high as for other age groups, according to Eurostat figures.

Micro-credentials and lifelong learning

Paolo Nardi, Director of the European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education, and Tommaso Grossi, Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, floated the idea of micro-credentials – the certification of short-term learning experiences, as when one completes a short course or training programme.

However, Nardi said that while equipping people with skills was crucial, he wasn’t only referring to technical skills.

“How ready are our education systems to prepare people in a holistic way?” Nardi asked highlighting the importance of life skills and skills on wellbeing. He also recommended adopting a lifelong perspective, where lifelong learning is supported with lifelong guidance.

“To what extent are we ready to prepare people not just for a job but for a career in the future?” Nardi reflected, emphasising how he views continuous learning and micro-credentials as crucial for the future.

Formal and informal education

Former EU Employment Commissioner László Andor agreed, stressing that as long as one is in the labour market, one should continue to learn new skills and participate in various forms of formal and informal education. However, he also addressed the notion of the concept of work for the younger generations.

“I think young people need to be taught, the sooner the better, that work is not simply just something through which we earn money. I think people need to be educated about the meaning of a vocation, that work actually also defines our role in society,” Andor said.

[By Christoph Schwaiger I Edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]

This article is part of our special report Election radar – how can Europe get its youth into work?.