Employment Services and Career Guidance for Youth

1. The Counselling and Employment ServicesThe Directorate of Labour1. nóvember 2012 Hrafnhildur Tómasdóttir Head of thecounsellingdivision Hrafnhildur Tómasdóttir

2. Unemployment 1993-2012 (registered)

3. Main Activities • Employment Services - General Employment Service - Employment Service for people with special needs - European Employment Service (EURES) • Career Guidance and Counselling • Labour market measures and Projects

4. Career guidance and employment services Hrafnhildur Tómasdóttir

5. The Counselling DepartmentCareer Guidance and Special Projects for the Unemployed • Individual Counselling • Group Counselling – Career Guidance • Interest Inventory • Job clubs • Self development courses Labour market measures available: • Vocational – training in the labour market • Special Study Contract while registered unemployed • Study-Grants • Job related Courses • Special Projects

6. Guidance and advise to job-seekers Labour market measures • The work ability, qualifications and needs of job seekers is estimated through Career Guidance by Personal Advisers at PES and a job-search plan is based on that • Job seekers are directed to labour market measures such as educational progammes and vocational training, or social programmes and services, based on each individual's needs and circumstances. The aim of labour market measures is to increase employment capacity of the job seeker - fostering employability and employment • The job seeker is responsible for active participation in his job search and labour market measures, in cooperation and under supervision of the Personal Adviser with whom he has regular contact and interviews

7. Special Projects • Ungtfólktilathafna – “Youth to Action” • Þekkingogreynsla – “Wisdom and experience” • Námervinnandivegur – “Back to School” • Vinnandivegur – “Back to Work” • JOB – torget • Supported employment

9. “Youth to Action” • A Governmental project • One year project to begin with, which started in January 2010 • Initiated by the Ministry of Social Affairs • The Directorate of Labour is responsible for the management and implementation

10. The aim and purpose • The Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security has put forward the aim: • that no one should be unemployed longer that three months without being offered a work or opportunity to be active. • The right to work or be active • The Directorate of Labour will reach these goals in close cooperation with labour unions and municipalities as well as educational providers.

11. Young unemployed people between 18 and 24 years old needs guidance and a role • Inactivity could have serious consequences for many individuals and the society as a whole • Measures towards youth unemployment should emphasise activating them • Education and training • Job-training • Voluntary work

12. Educational status of the young unemployed • Over 70% of the young unemployed have only finished primary education

13. Proportion off people age 25-64 in the Nordic countries and EU who have not finished education at the upper secondary level

14. Early school - leavers • Over 90% of all youngsters who finish primary education begin secondary education at the age of 16 • More than one third leave secondary education in their first or second year • Only about 45% of each age group have finished the four year college studies when they turn 20 years of age • About 20% finish their college studies later at the 25-35 years of age

15. Fighting early school-leaving • Dropout of secondary education is the most urgent social problem in Iceland and should be given a special attention • To prevent dropout should be a priority task • A comprehensive policy programme • To fight youth unemployment • To reduce early school leaving • New opportunities of education and training • “not more of the same”

16. Youth to Action • The aim is: • to tackle long-term unemployment among young people 16 – 24 years of age • The goal is: • to activate them within three months of unemployment • intensive guidance and counselling • motivate them to seek further education • participate in other learning activities • Participation is obliged • The project was evaluated by the SocialScience Research Institute

17. Measuresavailable • Intensive guidance and counselling • To motivate and monitor the progress • Better follow up • Educational measures • New tailor-made courses • Cooperation with • Adult education centre s – LLL centres • With selected collages • Job-training • Volunteer work

18. The process • Introduction meetings within three months of unemployment • Individual counselling and guidance • Individual action plan • Job-search assistance and monitoring • Compulsory participation in Active Labour market programmes • Intensive interventions measures • The only option not available is being inactive

19. Number of unemployed 16-24 years old, by gender

21. “Wisdom and experience” • The aim is: • to tackle long-term unemployment among people 25 years of age and older • The goal is: • to activate them within three months of unemployment • intensive guidance and counselling • motivate them to seek job or further education • participate in other learning activities • Participation is obliged - Mutual obligations

23. Back to school • To ensure educational opportunities in the upper secondary schools for young people under the age off 25 years • To create opportunities for 1.000 jobseekers in the school system for the next three years starting autumn 2011 at all levels

24. Back to school • An opportunity to study on unemployment benefits for one term/semester • After that • Study loan • Study grants – up to three terms

25. Back to schoolJobseekers Studying at different school levels

26. Jobseekers Studying at University level

27. BacktoschoolJob - seekers- Byage

28. BacktoschoolJob - seekers - Bygender

29. Success by school levelsThose who finished or dropped out

30. Unemployment by age

31. BACK TO WORK NEW FORCES- Stronger labour market

32. „Back to work“ • GOAL: • To create 1.500 new job opportunities and enhance recruitment services • The Directorate of Labour will reach these goals in close cooperation with labour unions and employers associations, municipalities as well as private recruitment agencies • Introduction and marketing • JOB – FAIR in the capital area 8. mars 2012 • The jobs are created through labour market measure: • The employer receives the individuals unemployment benefits • The employee gets paid according to collective agreement Hrafnhildur Tómasdóttir

33. Results • 1.400 new jobs - opportunities • 69% of those who were employed had been unemployed more than 12 months • 70% of the job - opportunities did not demand any formal education, 9% higher education • 63% of the participants were men Hrafnhildur Tómasdóttir

34. Thank you