Details
- Publication date
- 14 March 2015
- Authors
- Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture | European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE)
- Geographical scope
- European Union
- Level of education focus
- Adult education
- Early childhood education and care (ECEC)
- Higher education
- School education
- Vocational education and training (VET)
- Thematic areas covered
- Education-to-work transitions, education and labour market
- Educational attainment and participation in education
- Governance of education
- Investment in education, economic impact of education
- Lifelong learning
- Monitoring and quality assurance
- Quality and inclusive education for all
- Skills development
- Teachers and trainers
- Whole-school and whole-system approaches and partnerships in education
Description
This report investigates how education and training systems can prevent and alleviate youth unemployment across EU countries. It argues that educational attainment and skill levels are major predictors of employment prospects.
Three types of interventions are identified: universal access to quality education, targeted early support for disadvantaged children, and second-chance or remedial measures for unemployed youth.
The authors emphasize the importance of general education, especially for long-term success, while noting that early vocational tracking can yield short-term employment gains but risks limiting long-term adaptability.
Evidence from international research and country case studies shows strong returns on investment in early childhood education and general schooling.
The report highlights that successful interventions require high-quality implementation, contextual adaptation, and robust evaluation systems to track impact.
Policymakers are encouraged to take a strategic and evidence-based approach to reducing youth unemployment through a life-cycle view of education.
Authors
Francis Kramarz and Martina Viarengo
Cite as
Kramarz, F., Viarengo, M. (2015), Using Education and Training to Prevent and Combat Youth Unemployment, EENEE report.
