Im Jahr 2013 sank die Jugendarbeitslosigkeit in Litauen um 4,8 Prozent auf 21,9 Prozent. Das ist eine der schnellsten Verringerungen der Arbeitslosigkeit junger Menschen innerhalb der Länder der Europäischen Union, informierte das litauische Bundesministerium für soziale Sicherheit und Arbeit.
During policy debates on the European Semester that took place at the EU's Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), Minister of Social Security and Labour Algimanta Pabedinskiene emphasized that reduction of the youth unemployment rate was one of Lithuania's most important challenges, reports LETA/ELTA.Decline in youth unemployment rates in Lithuania is one of fastest in EU
In 2013, the youth unemployment level fell by 4.8 percentage points to 21.9%; this is one of the most rapid drops among all European Union countries, Ministry of Social Security and Labour informs.
"Youth unemployment was reduced in Lithuania first and foremost by creating opportunities for unqualified youth to obtain professional skills, and for those without work experience to attain employment skills, as well as by encouraging employers to hire young people and providing support to those who want to start a business or become self-employed. We are pleased that our efforts are producing good results," said Minister Pabedinskiene.
The minister called attention to the fact that the 2014-2020 Employment Development Programme approved by the Government of Lithuania provides for an integrated approach to the creation of workplaces and the increase of workforce demand, the coordination of workforce skills with labour market needs, the maximum utilization of existing labour resources, and participation in the labour market. This will be done by bringing together the business, education and labour market sectors and involving social partners and local authorities in the formation of employment policy.
Implementation of the targets set by the Europe 2020 strategy in the four years since its introduction was discussed during the meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council.
"We are currently observing economic recovery, but the long-term consequences of the financial crisis are increasing social challenges that require innovative solutions. In order to achieve the Europe 2020 targets, we must first of all encourage faster economic recovery through improving the business environment and increasing its competitiveness. In an effort to increase participation in the labour market, we should actively implement labour market reforms and ensure their continuity, and strengthen the employability skills of the work force by providing active support and training for the unemployed to give them adequate skills," said Minister Pabedinskiene during the meeting of the council.
The European Union ministers responsible for social security and employment adopted the Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships.
This system is designed to ensure that traineeships effectively facilitate in young people's transition from the educational system to the labour market, and increase their employment opportunities by introducing minimum standards established at an EU level for the quality of traineeships into national legislation and national practice.
Currently, regulation of traineeships differs among the different Member States: the Member States have different quality criteria for traineeships or none at all, so the opportunities provided by traineeships are not fully exploited.