The European Commission is set to launch its initial plans for a Youth Guarantee scheme on Wednesday, 5 December, which would guarantee people aged 18 to 24 a job offer, apprenticeship, training or combined work and training within four months of becoming unemployed.
Ahead of this, a conference took place in Dublin’s Liberty Hall on Saturday to examine how such a scheme could be implemented in Ireland should the European Commission grant funding for a pilot scheme in Ballymun, Dublin, next year.
“No society can be vibrant, innovative and competitive if almost 30pc of its workforce is unemployed,” said Emer Costello, MEP at the conference.
“Now more than ever we must give young people hope for the future and the opportunity to play their role in developing society for the better. The core principle behind a Youth Guarantee is to identify and meet the individual needs of each unemployed young person taking part in a Youth Guarantee scheme.”
Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, who was also present at the conference, said that building a strong Youth Guarantee framework will be at the heart of Irish efforts during Ireland’s presidency of the European Union.
“Getting European support through the ESF and other sources for this policy will be a key issue in Irish negotiations over the coming months,” said Burton.
