The first edition of the Youth Employment new Magazine will be released during the International Friendship Day that is announced by the United Nations. Nearly 200 institutions from 26 European countries, which implement projects, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, are getting together to share the results of their initiatives that are supposed to fight youth unemployment in Europe.
The edition will be released on July 30th. It will gather different resources and materials related with all youth employment projects that have been funded by EEA Fund. The editorial board consists of experts who implement the projects themselves. They prepare materials for the results of each project regularly. The Magazine is at the initiative of the Fund Operator - a consortium of the Italian organization JCP and the Polish organization Ecorys.
A difficult question for Europe
According to the latest Eurostat data, approximately 15 million young people between the ages of 20 and 34 from the 28 EU Member States in 2018 are not employed, nor are they students or trainees (NEET). In Italy and Greece, the countries with the highest levels of youth unemployment, more than a quarter of the young people are outside the labor market. In order to affirm sustainable and high-quality youth employment in Europe, the donor countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, through the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Fund in 2017 created a Youth Employment Fund that is worth EUR 60 million. The Fund supports 26 big currently open projects. The funded projects are expected to help about 25,000 young people to find jobs or start a new business.
"Vulnerable young people often stay outside formal education and training, as well as outside the formal labor market. This is the reason why there is a great need for innovative solutions, transfer of good practices and studies about which interventions work and which do not. The 26 projects will develop, approve or implement almost 100 new approaches, methods and practices, highlighting the innovative nature of the Youth Employment Fund”said Ms. Grete Haugoy, Senior Sector Officer at Regional Funds and Global Fund for Social Dialogue and Decent Work at the Office of the Financial Mechanism of the EEA Secretariat and the Norwegian Fund.
One platform beyond borders
Compared to other European Economic Area and the Norwegian Fund initiatives, the big value of the Youth Employment Fund is its transnational focus. It is in line with the Europe 2020 strategy and EU policies, which take into account the key role of regional and cross-border cooperation for quality, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Although the scope of the Fund is huge (the consortiums bring together more than 195 organizations from different sectors in 26 countries), the results are being disseminated at the countries, where projects are being implemented and the flow of information across borders is facing major challenges. This is also the main reason for the creation of the common communication platform - an online magazine. It is no coincidence that the magazine starts on International Friendship Day, as funded organizations support each other by sharing good practices and experiences.
Local activities, global information
The newly invented magazine will unite resources created for all funded projects: not only news about current achievements and project progress, but also useful articles about the main topic, as well as various multimedia materials. In addition, a constantly updated calendar will allow the audience to keep track on all events, organized by projects across Europe and the donor countries.
"The online magazine will serve as a platform to inspire, connect and inform young people in Europe and will become an online hub for all participants and beneficiaries of the Fund," said Raquel Torres Prol, Communications Officer of the Youth Employment Foundation in the Financial Services Office Mechanism to the EEA Secretariat and the Norwegian Fund.
About the Youth Employment Fund, part of European Economic Area (EEA) and the Norwegian Fund:
- 60.6 million euro in funding;
- 3 donor countries - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;
- 26 transnational projects that help quality youth employment are being supported;
- Targeting the long-term unemployed in the 25-29 age range, with funding complementary to what have already been granted by the EU.
- More information here