Page 157 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work
Lessons from across Europe

The role of young people in policy dialogue needs to be developed and
expanded. Too often, guidance partnerships are based on collaboration between
different agencies and leave out the service users: young people ideally placed to
provide constructive feedback on the effectiveness and operational practices of
guidance services. Policy-makers need to ensure that they create the time and
provide appropriate space to involve young people in the policy process: getting
input from youth organisations on new policies, investing in evaluation, and
organising feedback sessions or questionnaires to find out what young people
actually think about the guidance services they have used and how they would
improve them.
In light of the current economic crisis it is important that employers,
especially SMEs, are given the necessary support to be able to offer
apprenticeships and traineeships. Financial constraints have led many employers
to reduce significantly the number of apprentices and trainees they are able to
take on. In some cases, companies have ceased their traineeship programmes
altogether. This is where dedicated coordinators from schools, VET
establishments and reintegration programmes can offer real added value, for
example by coordinating placements and helping young people to adjust to them.

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