The fight against youth unemployment in the region Rivierenland

Dordrecht 28 October 2014

Pim Kalkman

RegionRegion

Rivierenland(Province of Gelderland)

10 municipalities

250.000 inhabitants

• Level of education is relatively low• 56 % of the unemployed youth has no level of basic

qualification• Employment rate 5,4 %; youth employment rate 12 %• From 2015 till 2030 : 25 % of the regional workforce

retires• Quantitative replacement is possible; qualitative

replacement is a problem• Job prospects mainly in technical area, logistics and

transport, horticulture and business services• More temporary jobs and less permanent jobs

The hard factsThe hard facts

Effects more severe for youth entering the workforce with education level below tertiary levelConsequences

of youth unemployment

Youth are increasingly employed in non-standard jobs, including temporary employment and part-time work

Raise risk of future unemployment and/or protracted period of unstable employment

Valuable work experience is not acquired and professional skills may fade away

Is likely to result in wage scars that continue to depress employment and earnings prospects

Is likely to become more serious the longer unemployment of youngsters continues

Consequences

• Two key challenges: long-term and short-term• Structural youth unemployment (long-term) affects 7 – 9% of young

people ( the most disadvantaged) • It is good to form partnerships to support young people with

complex needs• The shortage of jobs (short- term) means prepare for tomorrow’s

jobs• Focus on qualifications and employability skills• Inform young people in a realistic way about the labour market • Invest in a gradual transition from education to work• Make job opportunities and work-experience available to young

people• Stimulate entrepreneurship

AnalysisAnalysis

• Personal coaching of youngsters• Connection education- labour market• Commitment of employers• Arrangements between local authorities,

education and trade and industry• Sustainable employability• Further research

Focus in approachFocus in approach

• Two services:– Work training portal (advice, testing)– Employers advice centre ( active approach of employers)

• Community coaching– With volunteers from the region

• Starters grants– Six months training programme

• Prevention of early school leaving• Care component in special education

– Sheltered workplacements with help of specialized youth care– Custom courses in different branches – Advice on job carving

Personal coaching of youngstersPersonal coaching of youngsters

• Vouchers for work placements in – Technical area– Logistics and transport

• General vouchers for work placements• Centre for young entrepreneurship

Connection education labour marketConnection education labour market

• Regional social agreement– Cooperation on a regional level– Employers are responsible for the labour market in the region– Local authority facilitates– 1 st target : 200 jobs,workplacements– 2nd target: 10 jobs for people with a distyance to teh labour

market

• Ambassadors– Offer workplacement– Preferred supplier for other ambassadors– 5 x5 x5

Commitment of employersCommitment of employers

• Fort Asperen

• Toegerust uit de startblokken.

Arrangements between local authorities, education and trade and industry

Arrangements between local authorities, education and trade and industry

– MBO investeringsfonds ( MBO Vocational Investment Fund )

Fund to help vocational education to realize a better connection between education and the labour market

students are responsible for their own futureenterpreneurshipemployability skills

Sustainable employabilitySustainable employability

• Work security before job security• Labour market more and more flexible• The effects of ageing tend to benefit the labour market later than expected• The vacancies for jobs hardest to fulfill are for jobs we

hadn’t even heard of ten years ago• Only 30 % of people with higher education work in the

field they were educated in

Further researchFurther research

• Strategic platform– 10 municipalities– Respresentation of employers– Trade unions– Education– PES

• not only labour market policy, but also economical development• serves as a basis for the new participation law

Platform Education Labour MarketPlatform Education Labour Market

• Starting from 2015 municipalities, employers and labour unions are responsible in their region for inhabitants with reduced earning capacity

• To realize that each of the 35 labour market region installs a business company

• The PES indicates which kind of work is appropiate. This directly affects the ammount of the benefit and any wage supplement.

Participation law(social agreement)Participation law

(social agreement)

• PES gives information on– Figures en statistics– Development labour market in the region– Youth, education and work

• Integrated systems– Duo, SUWI, PES

• Province of Gelderland– Economical development and development labour market

• Newsletters• Grey economy

Exchange of informationExchange of information

• Strong infrastructure• Commitment of employers

Accounting for succesAccounting for succes

• Lack of coherence• Hard to get all relevant information• Too many different approaches

– Ministery of Social Affairs– Province of Gelderland– Social agreement – European Social Fund– MBO Vocational Investment Fund

BottlenecksBottlenecks

Don’t just plan- try to improveDon’t just plan- try to improve

• Cross sectoral education (e.g. IT, engineering and care)• Life long learning• New concepts in mobility (flexpools)

Improvement and key concepts for the future

Improvement and key concepts for the future