Youth guarantee schemes have recently gained political momentum in national politics and at European level. The creation of a European Youth Guarantee is being discussed as a tool to help the employability of young people. For Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark, such schemes are a matter of course. In 1984, Sweden was the first to introduce a genuine guarantee scheme, with the three other Nordic states instituting such schemes in the 1990s. Eurofound has recently carried out an evaluation of the youth guarantees in Finland and Sweden. Both schemes target young NEETS (not in employment, education or training) and offer an in-depth needs assessment and education, training or employment.
In 2010, 53, 000 young people participated in the Swedish scheme, with successful outcomes for 46 percent of participants. In Finland in 2011, 83 percent of applicants received a successful intervention within three months of registered as unemployed. Statistical evidence shows that the Finish scheme reduced the number of those in unemployment. The immediate action invoked by the guarantee means that the scheme helps to prevent the ‘scarring’ effects of youth unemployment (such as irregular future employment, disaffection and isolation, among others). The success of such schemes however, is highly dependent on other public policies such as the provision of education, training and work placements. Furthermore, the evaluation found that youth guarantees may not always offer long-term solutions to youth unemployment.
The European Youth Forum strongly believes that the establishment of European youth guarantee can be an efficient and proactive action to help overcome the disproportionate unemployment among young people, currently at an average of 25 percent across Europe. However other targeted concrete actions for long-term growth and youth employment, as well as increased investment in young people, are needed to address the crisis.
