Unlock sustainable future for Europe by investing in its young people today

The Youth Forum welcomes the announcement of the Jobs, Growth and Investment Package by President Juncker this morning. Though the amount of seed funding appears to be low, we hope that it will begin the process to unlock public and private investment in young people across Europe, to deter the emerging risk of a “lost generation”.

As we pointed out in a public letter to President Juncker on the day of his first Commission meeting, one in five young people cannot find a job and across the EU, 7.5 million young people are not in education, training nor employment. Meanwhile, investment in young people is actually declining due to austerity in most countries, cuts to education and health systems, thus storing up even bigger problems for the future.

When elected, President Juncker stated in the European Parliament on 22nd October that he would “address the plight of Europe’s youth for a better future” – investment in Europe’s young people must be a key part of these actions. We also welcome the statement of Commissioner Navracsics that the Investment Package must include “education as a driver for employability and growth”, while reminding him that education has many other roles, including the building of responsible and rounded citizens. We would like to highlight the fact that over 85 Members of European Parliament have supported the European Youth Forum’s LoveYouthFuture pledges during the European Elections, which call for investment in quality education, orientating youth towards green jobs, actions to fight youth unemployment and supporting young entrepreneurs.

The Youth Forum fears that there is a risk that not investing in Europe’s young people could deepen the widening gap and leave a legacy of economic, social and political isolation for decades to come. Now is the time for the European Union to take drastic action to ensure not only a viable present but also viable future for the Union and its citizens. We look forward to working with President Juncker and all other stakeholders to ensure that this happens.