Robert Hansen

1
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
(LO)Youth employment

• Robert Hansen Youth adviser

2
The situation in Norway

• Last year unemployment rate was 1.7 percent at
  the lowest
• Today it is 3.1 percent and rising
• The youth unemployment rate is usually two or
  three times higher
• Today it is 8.7 percent (between the ages 15 and
  24 years)

3
The situation in Norway

• The unemployment rate for young people from
  ethnic minorities is even higher. Usually 4 or 5
  times higher
• In 1995 an youth guarantee was introduced by the
  government
• It guarantied young people under the age of 25
  years the right to either work, education or
  skills training within 6 months of unemployment
• Research and documentation has shown that it is
  increasing the young peoples possibilities to
  enter the work life

4
The situation in Norway

• It was not a policy the new center/right
  government in 1997 wanted to continue, and the
  youth guarantee was removed
• LO in Norway has demanded a reintroduction of the
  youth guarantee ever since
• The LO leader called for a European youth
  guarantee during the ETUC congress in 2003

5
The situation in Norway

• Today we have three different guarantees
• A youth guarantee that gives everyone under the
  age of 20 years the right to secondary school
• A guarantee that the manpower services will help
  you in your search for a job. This guarantee
  helps everyone between the age of 15 and 24
  years, within an unemployment period of 6 months
• It consists of measures like help to active job
  seeking, motivation and individual activities

6
The situation in Norway

• In 2009 the government introduced a new
  guarantee. This guarantee gives young people
  between age 15 and 24 years the right to skills
  training after a unemployment period of at least
  6 months
• LO in Norway's position today is that the youth
  guarantee must be improved and more aimed at
  specific target groups as well
• We want an youth guarantee that gives young
  people under the age of 25 years the right to
  either work, education or skills training within
  an unemployment period of 3 months

7
Youth policy and campaigns

• The right to apprenticeship places for all after
  the second year of upper secondary school
• Studies in some European countries that has a
  good educational system including a system for
  apprenticeship has shown that the youth
  unemployment in general is lower than in
  countries without a good system for
  apprenticeship
• LO in Norway has also called for a guarantee of
  inclusion of young people