Youth Guarantee in Finland

1. Youth Guarantee in Finland Problem behind the solution: • 30 000 young job seekers • 110 000 young people between 20-29 have completed only basic education • 40 000 young people are not employed, in education and training or in activation measures (NEETs)

2. The solution: Youth Guarantee • The social guarantee • Each young person under 25 and recently graduated people under 30 will be offered a job, a traineeship, a study place, or a period in a workshop or rehabilitation within three months of becoming unemployed. • An educational guarantee: 1. Target group: Every person completing basic education. Guarantee: • a place in upper secondary school or vocational education • apprenticeship training • a youth workshop • rehabilitation or a place in some other form of study. 2. Target group: Youth under 30 that hold no qualification or degree with the opportunity to complete a vocational qualification or a study module. Solution: Skills programme • Training in educational institute or apprenticeship training. Arranged in 2013–2016. Aim is to complete a vocational or specialist vocational qualification or initial vocational education as part of the programme.

3. Not a separate law, but set of amendmentand public-private-people partnership The Youth guarantee will be based on cooperation of Officials: both state and municipality authorities Business, Associations, where young themselves are active creators of their own future. Open-minded changes to working methods are needed.

4. This is how it works Additional resources for young job seekers - More career counselling opportunities in the employment offices - Permanent establishment of the so called Chance card (wage subsidy card) for lowering the employers’ threshold for hiring young people and supporting active job seeking (700 €/month, 10 months) - More training and language courses and counselling for young immigrants Local youth work networks - Municipal responsibility will be increased in counselling comprehensive school graduates - Outreach youth work will be widened to the whole country - Youth workshops will be widened to the whole country • More education • More study places in vocational education • Regional re-distribution of the study places according to the changes in the age groups • Changes of the acceptance criteria for vocational education and training • Higher training compensation (800 € per month) for employers for apprenticeships • Temporary “Skill programme” for young adults in 2013–2016: additional places will be targeted for those 20-29 year olds who have performed only comprehensive school

5. Funding • An educational guarantee 24M € / year • Employment services 28M € / year • Outreach youth work 8M € / year • Establish a skills programme for young adults without vocational education 27-52M € / year (2013–2016) • Enhancing the guidance and counseling services for adults 2M € / year

6. Problems • SinceYouthGuaranteeisn't a law, itsimplementationrelies on the willingness of the municipalities to act. • Hugedifferencesbetweendifferentmunicipalities • Nottoomuchextraresources for implementingYouthGuarantee.  • The communication of the guaranteehasn'tbeenthatgreat. Differentstakeholdersstillremainunsure of theirrole in the implementation of the guarantee

7. Results • At the end of April 2013 there were 34 817 unemployed young people (age 15-24) in Finland (April 2012: 28 233) • At the end of April 2013 there were 2 644 unemployed recently graduated young people (age 25-29) in Finland (April 2012: 1925) • This means that of those younger than 25 at the job market, 24.4 %are unemployed (April 2012: 23.5 %) • It is important to remember that only about 12 % of all15- to 24-year-olds are unemployed. Unemployment statistics do not include young people who are doing something else, e.g. studying, and are thus not part of the active workforce. • Overall unemployment rate in Finland is 9 %

8. Results • Average unemployment time for young people is about 11 weeks. This is much better than for older age groups. • Most of the unemployed young people have completed only basic education or vocational training. • There has been a 36 % increase in academic unemployment compared to 2012. This means that currently a little bit over 10 % of all unemployed people have an academic degree.

9. Results • Between January and April 2013, 93.1 % of those who have signed up as unemployed, have got a plan to get job, education or training. • In three months 71.8 % of those young people (15-24 years) are not unemployed anymore. • Just graduated between 25-29 years, 62.4 % are not unemployed after 3 months

10. Results • Of thosewhoarenotunemployedanymore, • 5 % are in education • 34 % areworking • 4 % areworking with the help of someform of subsidy (chancecardetc) • 12 % aredoing a ”worktry-out” or a trainingperiod • 2% are in rehabilitation • 4 % arenotpart of the workforceanymore (pregnant, moveabroad etc.) • 39 % havedisappearedfrom the statistics (no information) We have to know more about the last 39 %

11. Finnish Youth Cooperation –Allianssi is working for the Youth Guarantee • Committee of the YouthGuarantee • Committee of the communication of the YouthGuarantee • Coordination of the youthorganisationsaboutYouthGuarantee • Lobbying • Project: SuccessfulYouthGuarantee

12. Information • www.youthguarantee.fi Timo Mulari timo.mulari@alli.fi +358409004877