Youth Education to Labour market transitions
The purpose of this colloquium is, first, to provide an update on and explore in depth current knowledge about the Transitions of youth (with few qualifications) from school to the labour market, particularly in major City-Regions like Brussels, using two grids to analyse transition processes. Second, to explore new approaches to and perspectives on tackling the issue. And, lastly, to discuss and initiate a European Observatory for Transitions that can feed into the decision-making processes of competent public authorities.
Contrary to the phenomena of aging seen across Europe, major European and international Cities are experiencing exponential demographic and migratory development characterised by a high number of young people.
Major urban areas are particularly attractive because of their economic, social, educational and student activity. They are also the focus of challenges that need to be met in terms of unemployment rates, the integration of immigrants and ethnic minorities, very high educational requirements, training and literacy, and environmental issues.
Delayed integration
There are significant disparities between the different areas of cities. Integration issues are concentrated in those areas where the greatest numbers of young people live. Their time of access to the labour market has been increasing gradually (in some neighbourhoods of Brussels, 40% of young people under 25 have been unemployed for over two years). The process is taking longer, becoming more diverse and more complex. Actual entry into the labour force is happening later and later and with increasing difficulty. For young people with few skills, the path to obtaining work has become a real labyrinth. However, the competent public authorities initiate or support many processes which are intended to facilitate and optimise the Education to Labour market transition.
The transitional space in question
This observation is cause for concern. It has been made for the Brussels-Capital Region, the Capital of Europe, and for other major European Cities & Regions, some of which have also created “transitional” processes. They have come together as a result of their interesting initiatives in the matter.
An analytical framework has been created for the transitional space and theories have been developed based on a university study (Facultés Saint-Louis - Brussels) and a descriptive grid (FREREF).
Workshops will take a more in-depth look at three aspects of the transitional space during the colloquium:
- Education and post-education
- Transitional spaces: success factors?
- Transitional labour markets
The workshops will articulate the intervention of a large European City or Region which has developed a particular approach and will compare it with Brussels’ plan. Based on an analysis of contextual elements (employment market, urban demographics, etc.) and focused on proposed answers to identified needs, they will be enriched with scientific information and by debates among attendees. This will enable a gradual adjustment of the initial theories and the building of new approaches for action.
The plan for a European Observatory for Transitions able to feed into the decision-making processes of the competent public authorities will also be discussed. The feasibility of its implementation will be analysed.