Organization for Youth Education & Development (OYED)
List of Youth Programs in EU Member State
List of Youth Programs in EU Member State
Introduction
The Organization for Youth Education and Development (OYED) is an establishment that seeks to promote the interests of young people on a European level. In order to support this youth agenda the OYED is proposing a common EU policy relating to young people, comprised of 10 points. This proposal addresses some of the most pressing challenges faced by young people in the European Union today.The OYED believes it to be a gross injustice that the opportunities and level of social inclusion that a young individual can expect is dependent on which country they inhabit. There is a clear imbalance within the European Union, which if left unchecked will perpetuate the current trend and threaten European cohesiveness. This proposal seeks to lift the cap on aspiration on a European level.
This memorandum therefore exists to reinforce this common EU policy proposal as it contains extensive research regarding governmentally funded youth programs and initiatives in every EU member state. The broad scope of this research highlights loopholes in existing policies in one or multiple member states, aiding EU legislators to tailor a more effective approach. Over the course of this research three overarching issues have arisen which must be addressed: social mobility, opportunities for young people, especially linking education to work and entrepreneurship and innovation, and political engagement.
Ireland
| Program Name: English: Intreo - Employment and Income Supports Website: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Intreo_home.aspx Established Year: 2012 Intreo, a service from the Department of Social Protection, provides information regarding employment and income supports in a single location online. It offers practical, tailored employment services and supports for job seekers and employers. It is designed to provide a more streamlined approach and to better suit the technological age, particularly for the target audience of youth unemployment. It provides expert assistance and advice on employment, in addition to self-service facilities which provide information regarding training and personal development opportunities. It meets individual needs, assisting the user’s transition into the workforce. For employers, vacancies can be advertised nationally and across the EU, and financial support can be accessed. |
| Program Name: English: JobBridge Website: http://www.jobbridge.ie/default.aspx Established Year: 2011 Since its launch in 2011, 30,360 placements have commenced through the National Internship Scheme, JobBridge, 69% of whom are aged 20-34. It is a Government initiative offered to jobseekers who have a live claim, have been in receipt of welfare support or have been signing for Social Insurance Contribution credits for at least 3 months. It provides the opportunity to enhance their current skills and develop new ones and the placements last for 6 or 9 months. JobBridge breaks the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. It gives people the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the private, public, voluntary, and community sectors, bridging the gap between study and employment. Interns receive an allowance of €50 per week on top of their existing social welfare entitlement. |
| Program Name: English: The Work Placement Programme - Department of Social Protection Website: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Work-Placement-Programme.aspx Established Year: 2009 The Work Placement Programme brings employers and the unemployed together for a nine month, unpaid work experience placement. It is supported by the Irish Government. Those unemployed or who have not secured paid work are able to gain valuable experience developing skills within a workplace setting. The incentive of the program is to provide an edge against the competition when subsequently applying for jobs, to decrease unemployment by enhancing the skills and career prospects of the individual. If an applicant receives certain social welfare payments, they may be allowed to retain their payment whilst on placement. |
| Program Name: English: Youth Guarantee Website: http://www.youth.ie/sites/youth.ie/files/NYCI_051_A4_accessible.pdf Established Year: 2014 The youth guarantee would offer a young person aged 18 to 24 a job, work experience, an apprenticeship, training, or combined work and training, within a defined period of time after leaving school or becoming unemployed. It is recommended by the European Commission that the youth guarantee should be offered to young people within 4 months of becoming unemployed. It would cost an estimated €273m to implement in Ireland, according to National Youth Council of Ireland. From the successful schemes in Austria, Sweden, and Finland, it was found that Youth Guarantee is more effective for young people who were new to the labour market than for the long-term unemployed. The Government would need to provide job subsidies and incentives to employers to take on young people, and there should be additional support for the long-term unemployed, perhaps working in cooperation with another scheme. |
| Program Name: English: Youth Work (Part of National Youth Council of Ireland) - Development Plan Website:https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/National-Youth-Work-Development-Plan-2003-2007.pdf Established Year: 2003 With funding from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the National Youth Work Development Plan, 2003-2007, subsequently aimed to enhance personal and social development through voluntary participation in less institutionalized forms of education - in addition to vocational training - to provide a statutory framework for the provision of youth work programs and services. The central principal is “voluntary participation”; the rights of individuals to participate is paramount; for those who do, the Development Plan aims to meet three primary goals: to optimize the benefits youths receive from youth work programs and services; to promote and enhance social inclusion and cohesion; and to enhance developmental infrastructure to support national and local-level coordination. |
