Specific EU Funding Program Required To Tackle Scourge Of Youth Unemployment – Prendergast

Labour MEP for Munster Phil Prendergast has today called on European Commission President José Manuel Barroso to introduce a specific funding stream to alleviate youth unemployment across the European Union.

Speaking from Strasbourg, Ms Prendergast said “The youth unemployment rates across the EU-27 are through the roof, with more than 1 in 5 young people between 15 and 24 looking for work across the Union.

“Furthermore, Ireland had an official youth unemployment rate of 27.5% in 2010, however, according to the International Labour Organisation, this figure masks a true unemployment rate of just under 50% when you factor in those who are “hiding out” in education or staying at home waiting for things to improve. This is not even to mention all of our young people who are being forced to emigrate.

“”President Barroso’s renewed focus on youth unemployment is a welcome acknowledgement of the hard facts on the ground however his specific proposal to reprogramme structural funds does not go far enough and will not produce the kind of results our young people need.

“This proposal would establish “action teams” that would develop plans on a local level to alleviate youth unemployment using funding that could be reprogrammed from the Social and Regional Funds of that Member State for projects to alleviate youth unemployment.

“However, we can’t afford cuts to current, worthy structural fund projects in order to introduce new programmes – this would simply be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Rather, we need additional funding streams to help tackle this problem.

“We need additional specific measures, and a growth-friendly economic governance structure to help ease the burden of youth unemployment. We must ensure the next generation is not further burdened by, and lost to, this crisis. We must guarantee young people continue to have access to education, training and employment, which is why I am calling for President Barroso to introduce real measures in this area.”