Methods against the exclusion of young people

Coaching, using mentors, finding ways to prevent pupils leaving school early, and conditioning allowances to young people’s active job seeking or enrolment in some form of education or training are common methods for reducing young people’s exclusion from education, work and participation in society. This is shown in a study by the Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs.

The report Fokus 09 - Methods against the exclusion of young people - examples from Europe describes methods and policies for encouraging young people to find work, educate themselves and to participate in society. The european countries looked at - in comparison with Sweden - are Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

In its report Fokus 08 - The living conditions of young people in socially deprived neighbourhoods in Sweden the Board highlighted the conditions for young persons who live in some of Sweden’s poorest areas. The new report is a continuation on the same theme.

Different approaches to combat exclusion

All of the studied countries are advanced welfare states, but they have nevertheless chosen to shape their education and labour market policies in different ways, and consequently also have different approaches to combat the exclusion of young people from work and education.

The extent of youth unemployment varies in the countries, and they have chosen different degrees of emphasis on young people’s participation. Common to the countries is that they have received large groups of non-European immigrants over the last 10 to 20 years, and that they have created special measures to reduce the exclusion of young people living in the most socially deprived areas.

The specific activities and methods for reducing young people’s exclusion from education, work and participation show great similarities in the studied countries.

For example, coaching and the use of mentors and role models are common methods of facilitating young people’s guidance into employment and studies. All the countries prioritise finding ways to prevent pupils leaving school early, and tie allowances to young people’s active job seeking or enrolment in some form of education or training.

There are nevertheless interesting differences between how the countries work to achieve such common goals. These differences include their methods for the early identification of young people at risk, how cooperation between stakeholders supporting young people at risk is organised, the degree of flexibility in the education systems, and the connection between schools and the labour market.