This study evaluates the support provided through the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and the European Social Fund (ESF) during the period 2014-2018. An estimated EUR 22 billion is being invested in youth employment operations for the current programming period (2014-2020), including EUR 8.8 billion from YEI and EUR 5.5 billion from the ESF Investment Priority 8.ii.
The study focuses on six evaluation criteria, namely the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, European added value and sustainability of the operations. It also draws some key lessons.
It is complemented by country specific factsheets summarising, for each EU country, the socio-economic context and challenges, the ESF priorities and actions, the number and profiles of participants to ESF-funded activities, and the lessons learned.
Reaching NEETS from more disadvantaged groups
The study shows that there are mixed results in reaching NEETs from more disadvantaged groups. The responding organisations to the public consultation found that the ESF/YEI is relatively more successful in helping the broader target of young NEETs (75.7%) and less successful in supporting young people in rural areas or hard to reach areas and those who are at risk of poverty or homelessness. In fact, ESF/YEI support to young people leaving education without a qualification is considered to be successful by 56.6% of responding organisations, followed by young people at risk of social exclusion or marginalisation (46.9%), young migrants and minorities (41.6%), young people in disadvantaged or hard to reach areas (41.1%), youth affected by poverty (39.6%) and lastly homeless young people for which the share of respondents believing they were successfully supported is quite low (18%) and the share of respondents believing operations were unsuccessful or not successful at all is highest (35.6%). However, for
the latter target group, the share of respondents who do not know or do not have an opinion is also comparably higher (46.0%). For all other target groups, the share of respondents believing operations were successful is higher than the share of those believing they were not. Looking at the categories of disadvantaged recorded in the Operational Programmes’ Annual Implementation Reports, bearing in mind that these are not mutually exclusive categories, we can see that across the EU, 11.3% of YEI and 13.2% of ESF participations reported so far were young migrants, participants with a foreign background, minorities (including marginalised communities such as
Roma) (CO15) in 2018.
One of the main challenges identified by the evaluation is reaching the target group of NEETs, in terms of identification and subsequent recruitment to YEI/ESF operations. Despite high levels of NEETs in a number of countries, actually identifying individuals (with proof of NEET status required) has proven difficult where they are not registered with the public employment service, or in education or training. When it comes to the YEI target group in particular, reaching those who are most disadvantaged and furthest away from the labour market or outside the system is a challenge. According to the 2018 YEI evaluations, this is particularly true for disadvantaged groups in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, where the most vulnerable young people are reported to be under-represented, and potentially under–reported (which seems to be a more general problem), among YEI participants. This is backed up by evidence from the public consultation which stresses the relative difficulties of reaching and supporting vulnerable young people in rural areas, those with disabilities, ex-offenders, those at risk of poverty and the homeless, with some individuals having multiple disadvantages. The situation varies between countries but there are some common patterns.
Member States have developed outreach strategies to overcome these challenges. These include social networks, media, newsletters or more innovative channels, such as organising concerts and placing adverts on fast food trays (Bulgaria) to reach young NEETs. Street work has also been used to meet NEETs in public places that are frequented by young people, e.g. in parks or shopping centres. Member States also invested in developing the experience and skills required to reach the ‘hardest to reach’ NEETs, working with professional social workers who represent ground level organisations, promoting cooperation between the various actors involved, especially
vertical (e.g. from ground level to public employment service), going beyond traditional outreach channels. A key issue in reaching out to specific target groups is an adequate communication
strategy. The geographical distribution of responses to the consultation confirms an overall agreement on the fact that social media campaigns are the best way to inform young people. Interestingly the information channels actually used by young people in accessing ESF/YEI are slightly different, with the majority of respondents having learned about the support through employment services and information centres, followed at a distance by word of mouth such as family or friends and a smaller share having heard about them from social media.
Conclusions
As a general conclusion, the study finds that YEI/ESF youth employment operations have helped improve the employability of young people across Europe. To achieve this, some elements have been particularly relevant, such as innovation in reaching the target population, coordination between partners, and holistic approaches to employment. Even if, operationally speaking, implementation took some time to take off and has not yet achieved the intended targets, the implementation progress is advancing well, and has long-term positive effects on employability. While further efforts seem necessary to engage inactive people, youth employment operations have adjusted accordingly and remained highly relevant.
Based on the evidence available, it seems justified to conclude that without EU support the number of young NEETs supported would be lower, and the NEET population higher. The specific focus on ‘youth’ in the current programming period through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee, YEI and ESF operations, has raised and maintained the profile of young NEETs, as regards policy design and delivery. This “focus on youth” is still justified even in the light of changing circumstances such as the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic and should be adjusted in the new programming period, in particular in terms of the definition of the target group and the objectives to be achieved.
There are mixed results in reaching NEETs from more disadvantaged groups
The responding organisations128 to the public consultation found that the ESF/YEI is
relatively more successful in helping the broader target of young NEETs (75.7%) and
less successful in supporting young people in rural areas or hard to reach areas and
those who are at risk of poverty or homelessness. In fact, ESF/YEI support to young
people leaving education without a qualification is considered to be successful by 56.6%
of responding organisations, followed by young people at risk of social exclusion or
marginalisation (46.9%), young migrants and minorities (41.6%), young people in
disadvantaged or hard to reach areas (41.1%), youth affected by poverty (39.6%) and
lastly homeless young people for which the share of respondents believing they were
successfully supported is quite low (18%) and the share of respondents believing
operations were unsuccessful or not successful at all is highest (35.6%). However, for
the latter target group, the share of respondents who do not know or do not have an
opinion is also comparably higher (46.0%). For all other target groups, the share of
respondents believing operations were successful is higher than the share of
those believing they were not. Figure 32 below, presents the results
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