Effective Interventions for Unemployed Young People in Europe

Young people in Europe have been disproportionally affected by unemployment as a result of the economic crisis and a large number of the most disadvantaged are migrant youth, or those of a different ethnic origin, living in deprived city neighbourhoods. This book examines the need for more appropriate interventions aimed at improving the inclusion of young people in the labour market, bringing together theoretical reflections and empirical evidence on emerging innovative policies and practices. Using case studies from across Europe, it asks how effectively innovative interventions respond to the specific needs, motivations, aspirations and strategies of unemployed and vulnerable youth within the contextual conditions of the welfare state and locality. It also provides a new theory of the effectiveness of interventions. As social exclusion remains high among young people in Europe, Effective Interventions for Unemployed Young People in Europe is essential reading for policymakers and practitioners. This book demonstrates where we can look for effective innovative interventions and how these can potentially add up to large-scale social innovation. It is also a crucial resource for academics and students interested in social and labour inclusion measures.

TomáS Sirovátka is a Professor of Social Policy at Masaryk University, where he is currently heading the Institute for Public Policy and Social Work. He is interested in analysing labour market and social inclusion policies, especially comparative research aimed at exploring the social policies in the Central European countries. Henk Spies is currently director of +Confidence, a SME involved in research, consultancy and training in the social sector, both domestically and internationally. He was a consultant on the reorganisation and development of new client approaches in social services in the Netherlands and Norway.

Introduction (TomáS Sirovátka, Henk Spies, Jill Robinson, Ajmal Hussain and Helen Higson) Chapter 1. A new perspective on activating young people (TomáS Sirovátka and Henk Spies) Chapter 2. A theory of effective policies on social exclusion (Henk Spies) Chapter 3. The Loft: Birmingham (Jill Robinson, Ajmal Hussain, Helen Higson and Gemma Commane) Chapter 4. The Loft: Shelter of Ideas in Athens (Maria Pothoulaki and Pyrros Papadimitriou) Chapter 5. Learning by Working (TomáS Sirovátka, Jana Válková and Ondrej Hora) Chapter 6. Transfer of an integrated approach for the improvement of employment prospects among Roma youth in Sofia (Marko Hajdinjak) Chapter 7. Entrepreneurs of their own lives: Buzinezzclub Rotterdam as an alternative route to the social inclusion of young people (Maarten Davelaar and Henk Spies) Chapter 8. The Youth Employment Agency in Hamburg: a needs-oriented service innovation? (Anne-Marie Gehrke and Simon Güntner) Chapter 9. Brightful in Malmö: finding one's own way (Jonas Alwall and Pia Hellberg Lannerheim) Chapter 10. Comparing innovative policies and practices for activating young people (TomáS Sirovátka, Henk Spies, Jana Válková and Ondrej Hora) Chapter 11. Conclusions: towards a paradigm shift in activating young people (TomáS Sirovátka, Jana Válková and Henk Spies)