EARLALL Participates in Cedefop Brussels Seminar: Boosting European Policies for Youth Social Inclusion
23/06/2025
Today, EARLALL took part in the Cedefop Brussels Seminar, “Youth in Education, Youth in Employment – Boosting European Policies for Social Inclusion”, held at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU. Hosted under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the event brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss urgent and coordinated actions to support young people across Europe—especially those not in employment, education or training (NEETs).
The seminar was moderated by Irene Psifidou, Cedefop expert from the VET for Youth Team Facilitator, who set the scene for the day. In her opening remarks, she introduced the event’s core themes and presented the speakers, placing a strong emphasis on the role of inclusive VET systems in addressing youth unemployment and social exclusion.
Setting the Stage for Inclusive Growth
The seminar opened with a warm welcome from Michał Drozdowicz, Chair of the Social Questions Working Party and Head of Social Politics, Employment and Equal Opportunities Section at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU. He emphasized the necessity of ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to succeed in the labour market and contribute meaningfully to society, calling for a stronger, more inclusive European social policy framework.
Cedefop Executive Director Jürgen Siebel reflected on 50 years of Cedefop’s work shaping EU skills policy, highlighting the essential role of vocational education and training (VET) as a bridge to both individual growth and societal integration. “Equal access is crucial to meeting the EU’s objectives on youth employment. Together, we share the responsibility to make it happen,” he stated.
Voices from the European Parliament and Beyond
MEP Brigitte van den Berg, a strong advocate for vocational education and training (VET), underlined that VET is not only about skills—it is fundamentally about building confidence and empowering young people, particularly in rural and underserved areas. She stressed the importance of broadening access to micro-credentials, enabling young people to gain recognition for their learning and improve their chances on the labour market.
MEP van den Berg noted that traineeships at the European Parliament were once limited to university graduates, excluding VET alumni. This barrier has now been removed, and she proudly introduced her current trainee, a VET graduate.
Cedefop Insights: Tackling the NEETs Challenge
A core focus of the seminar was the presentation of new insights and tools from Cedefop’s team of experts — Irene Psifidou, Stefanie Ledermaier, Anthie Kyriakopoulou, and Michalis Papazoglou — on empowering NEETs through VET.
With over 8 million young people currently classified as NEETs in the EU, the team presented updated statistics and trends from 2014 to 2024. Although the overall NEET rate has declined, significant disparities persist in terms of gender and geography. Remote and rural youth continue to be disproportionately affected.
The team unveiled Cedefop’s VET toolkit for empowering NEETs, designed to provide targeted support through outreach, mentoring, skills validation, and flexible training pathways. The toolkit also supports teachers working with NEETs, underlining the importance of tailored continuous professional development (CPD), hands-on experience, and psychosocial awareness.
Stefanie Ledermaier presented an integrated intervention model aimed at supporting NEETs — particularly young women — through a comprehensive approach that bridges policy, academic insight, and good practices.
Anthie Kyriakopoulou presented new research into the profiles and needs of VET teachers working with NEETs, identifying a strong need for targeted training and deeper understanding of NEET learners’ unique challenges.
Cedefop underlined that direct experience with NEETs makes educators significantly better prepared, and that targeted CPD focused on NEETs’ specific needs is essential. The presentation also stressed the importance of extended support, including psychosocial and language mediation, and showed that hands-on engagement delivers the greatest impact.
Inspiring Practices and Innovative Solutions
The event featured a showcase of promising practices from across Europe. Juan-Anton Gambina, Principal Executive for Jobseeker Services at Jobsplus, the Public Employment Service of Malta detailed the national employment service’s youth-specific mentoring, training, and projects “atWorkNEETs” , Youth Guarantee 3.0. and ALMA.
Kati Marin, an Expert in lifelong learning at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, introduced a framework for using modular micro-credentials to create learner- and labour market-oriented pathways, tailored to diverse skill levels and life contexts.
Oscar Pasquali, CEO of Generation Italy, presented a unique seven-step methodology that consistently delivers high employment and income outcomes for programme participants, regardless of their prior experience, professional background, or country of origin. This model is the result of years of research and practice in engaging young people who are excluded from the labour market and education systems. Generation’s global reach: 174,100 learners have taken part in training programmes; 112,880 job placements have been recorded; activities span 384 cities; the model operates in over 17 countries and six industry sectors.
Panel Discussion: Unlocking the Future of Youth Employment
A closing high-level panel moderated by Cedefop’s Irene Psifidou brought together representatives from the European Commission, European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute, Polish Ministry of Education, German Employers’ Confederation, and Wallonia’s Public Employment Service.
Koen Bois D’Enghien (European Commission, DG EMPL) emphasized the role of VET and the forthcoming VET strategy, alongside targeted support for teachers. Raffaela Kihrer (EAEA) called for policy coherence and a learner-centric approach across sectors.
Karolina Malinowska (Polish Ministry of Education) shared Poland’s journey from a 22% NEET rate to 9%, now turning their focus to migrants and inclusive non-formal learning. Sabina Casini (German Employers’ Confederation) underscored the importance of peer-to-peer engagement, simplified recruitment, and social partnerships. Yves Magnan (Le Forem, Wallonia) highlighted the critical role of mental health support, early intervention, and integrated services in keeping youth connected to training and employment opportunities.
The seminar served as a powerful reminder of the shared European responsibility to support young people’s transition from education to meaningful employment. Through cooperation, innovation, and inclusive policies, stakeholders across Europe—governments, institutions, educators, and employers—can collectively ensure that no young person is left behind.
EARLALL remains committed to supporting these efforts, advocating for lifelong learning systems that are inclusive, flexible, and aligned with the needs of all young Europeans.
