Investing in the future

Investing on the youth “is good” for the new generations and for Europe as a whole. The belief emerges from a recent survey conducted by the EU Commission to assess the results of the “Youth in Action” program with a €900 budget for the period 2007/2013, which each year involves tens of thousands of young people across EU Member States.Language skills and job opportunities. A survey conducted by the EU executive among 4 550 young people under30, youth workers and youth organizations of EU 27 which took part in one of the 7 thousands “Youth in Action” projects show that the youth taking part in trasnational training and education projects in the EU believe that the experience increased their chances of finding a job, their ability to live in an international dimension and their interest to take part in the European building. “95% consider that they learned to communicate better with people who speak another language – is stated in the report -, while 66% believe that their job chances have increased thanks to the project experience”. According to the findings of the survey, 60% participated in the elections for the European Parliament in June 2009, (43% among the global population with a participation of 29% among the EU population aged 18-24). Training and exchange programs, volunteer work. The survey shows that 92% of respondents believe that the projects made them more receptive to multiculturalism in Europe”. With a yearly total budget of about EUR 140 million, “Youth in Action” (2007-13) last year involved some 130thousand young people in youth exchanges, transnational voluntary service as well as training and networking for youth workers. “The results of the survey confirm from the point of view of the beneficiaries themselves, the effectiveness of the Youth in Action Program, as regards its two main objectives: offering young people opportunities to acquire new skills through non-formal learning and encouraging them to participate actively in society”, the Commission declared in a statement.New international perspectives . According to the survey, 86% of “Youth in Action” participants consider that “they learned better how to achieve something in the interest of their community or society”. Among the youth workers, 88% consider that they “gained skills and knowledge which they would not be able to gain through projects organized at national level”. The youth organizations involved pointed out that the Program increased their project management skills and boosted their “appreciation of cultural diversity”. Asked if they had been participating in a new international or European initiative since the end of their project or are planning to do so in the future, “83% of the young participants, 96% of the youth workers and 97% of the youth organizations responded positively”. Major objectives and five actionsThe new Youth in Action program (2007-2013), established in 2006, which builds on the experience of the previous “Youth” program, aims to “encourage and promote cooperation among young Europeans” and to “inspire a sense of active European citizenship. In particular, it wishes to “boost their participation in democratic life, as well as the inclusion of all young people, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds” while “supporting entrepreneurship and creativity”. The program, addressed to young people between 13-30, addresses a series of initiatives by means of five actions, these are: ‘Youth for Europe’, that encourages young people to participate in democratic life through exchanges and other initiatives like the funding of intercultural exchanges. The “European Voluntary Service”, that helps young people to develop their sense of solidarity by working on a voluntary project abroad for up to 12 months. “Youth in the world”, which “contributes to encourage mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue through exchanges, training, networking and co-operation between young people and youth organizations from the EU and beyond. “Youth Support Systems” offers backing to youth bodies and NGOs active at the European level, to the Youth Forum and its activities, and information activities for the young. Finally, “European cooperation in the youth field” supports initiatives aimed at “involving young people in policy-shaping debates for a structured dialogue with policy makers”.