Employment Support Program and Young people’s Employability in French-Speaking Sub-Saharan Africa

In recent years there has been a resurge of interest in young people's employment problems, the focus of labour economists and sociologists during the Seventies and Eighties, also covering countries with apparently good employment situations (such as Sweden, Germany and United Kingdom). This interest is timely and Europe-wide, prompted by escalating youth unemployment, difficulties in the transition from school to the labour market and the precariousness of short-term employment alternating with unemployment. Even countries with a high level of adult employment and some of the best labour-market performances have encountered problems in recent years. The unfavourable position of young people in the labour market is evident across Europe. Figure 1 (Annex 1)2 shows the youth-to-adult unemployment ratio (15-29 versus 30-59) in the 27 member countries, where Lithuania shows the lowest, followed by Germany, and Italy the highest ratio, followed by Sweden and UK, countries with a youth-to-adult unemployment ratio of over 3. The same figure indicates an increase of this ratio between 2000 and 2005, the most striking example being Sweden, whose youth-to-adult unemployment ratio rose from 1.6 in 2000 to over 3 in 2005. Also in UK, Cyprus and Austria we find a strong deterioration of this ratio. The only, slight improvements can be found in Finland, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Poland. Evidently, that the integration of young people in the labour market is becoming increasingly difficult, subject to long entry periods in which unemployment alternates with atypical contracts (see Figure 2, Annex 1). The more or less stable level of the youth to total employment ratio from 2000 to 2005 (except for Luxembourg, rising from 4 in 2000 to almost 6 in 2005, Romania dropping from 4 in 2000 to under 3 in 2005 and Cyprus with the lowest value in 2005, around 1.5, slightly less than in 2000, see Figure 4, Annex 1) shows that temporary employment is becoming widespread among the young. The share of under 12-month contracts ranges from 28-29% in Greece and the Netherlands to 55% in Spain, 59% in Sweden and 66% in Finland (see Table 16, Annex 1). The accession of the EU 12 has had repercussions on the mean age of women at childbirth (on average the new member countries have an age two years below the mean, see Table 32, Annex 1) and on other elements such as the level of human capital, performances on the labour market, and the age of entry in the labour market. However, these gaps seem to be narrowing, revealing an alarming general picture. This chapter will explore the reasons for this insufficient labour-market integration through the statistical-econometric analysis of quantitative data, based on EUROSTAT source and qualitative data. The first section illustrates the indicators of youth labour-market integration in the 27 member states, discussing the reasons for insufficient labour- market integration. The second section estimates how indicators of human capital affect the labour-market integration of young people. The third section analyses how labour-market institutions and differences in employment protection legislation are responsible for differences in the size of youth employment. The forth section describes the contribution young people make to the labour force and economic growth and provide recommendations to improve the labour market integration of young people.

While supported employment (SE) programs for people with mental illness have demonstrated their superiority in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses, little is known about the effectiveness of non-trial routine programs. The primary objective of this study was to estimate a pooled competitive employment rate of non-trial SE programs by means of a meta-analysis. A secondary objective was to compare this result to competitive employment rates of SE programs in RCTs, prevocational training programs in RCTs and in routine implementation. A systematic review and a random-effects meta-analysis of proportions were conducted. Quality assessment was provided. Moderator analyses by subgroup comparisons were conducted. Results from 28 samples were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled competitive employment rate for SE routine programs was 0.43 (95% CI 0.37-0.50). The pooled competitive employment rates for comparison conditions were: SE programs in RCTs: 0.50 (95% CI 0.43-0.56); prevocational programs in RCTs: 0.22 (95% CI 0.16-0.28); prevocational programs in routine programs: 0.17 (95% CI 0.11-0.23). SE routine studies conducted prior to 2008 showed a significantly higher competitive employment rate. SE routine programs lose only little effectiveness compared to SE programs from RCTs but are much more successful in reintegrating participants into the competitive labor market than prevocational programs. Labor market conditions have to be taken into account when evaluating SE programs.

Supported employment (SE) is an evidence-based program that has shown much promise in helping people with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) to gain and sustain competitive employment. However, there are significant variations in employment outcomes across SE programs in Canada that can be partly explained by SE service users’ experiences in their work environment. The work environment can exert a considerable influence on the interest in and ability to sustain the employment of a person with an SMI. This study explores the work experiences of individuals with SMIs who are involved in an SE program and who understand the challenges of and barriers to sustaining such employment. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 individuals with SMIs, and the data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Challenges to the employment sustainability of an individual with SMI were found to arise primarily from three intersecting contexts: the SE program, the work environment, and the larger Canadian labor market. The findings suggest that SE programs will better promote employment sustainability if they adhere closely to individual placement and support model of SE. SE service providers (employment specialists) must be equipped with a wide range of knowledge and skills to meet the needs of individuals with SMIs if sustainable employment is to be achieved. It is recommended that there must be investment in training for employment specialists to assist SE service users to achieve sustainable employment outcomes.

In this study, my goal is to present the results of an on-line research conducted in the autumn of 2020 in Hungary focusing on the labour market situation and opportunities and difficulties of integration of 17-29 aged young people. The aim of research is to improve the labour market situation of young people in the COVID-19 pandemic. The research question is what impact does the pandemic have on the integration of young people into the labour market. It is assumed that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on the target group. My work involves quantitative methodology as well as questionnaires filled out by young people on-line.

In the context of globalized society, the education offer seeks to prepare young people to adapt as best as possible to the demands of the labour market. The best possible integration of young people into the labour market takes into account both opportunities on it and important decisions that they make to increase their chances of a good job. In an internationalized environment, the chances of a good job increase if the employee has a good knowledge of the concepts in an international language. The specialized literature offers various analyses and approaches regarding the motivation of young people to choose to access university studies in a second language. In order to find out what are the students’ motivations for choosing to study business administration in English, we conducted 13 interviews with first year bachelor students from the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Oradea. In our research, through semi-structured interviews applied to first year students who study in English, we aimed to highlight their opinion on the following topics: choosing the program in English, evaluating the educational offer or expectations related to the workplace and career opportunities. The students’ answers are a good indicator of the perceptions regarding the motivation to choose to study in English. The motivation to study in English starts from the knowledge of the English language and extends to the opportunities that the study of business administration in English offers in relation to the future career. They are eager to find a job in Romania, but they will not refuse an opportunity in another country, if such an opportunity arises. Students’ motivations and perceptions regarding education are an important indicator to have a more realistic picture of their expectations of the education offer as well as their integration and success on the labour market. In our future analyses regarding students’ perceptions of the choice of studies, we will seek to expand the analyses both by specializations and by years and level of studies.

Young people, who constitute the main segment of the working-age population worldwide, play a crucial role in ensuring the economic and social well-being of the country.Thus, the main reason for the material and moral balance of society is the integration of young people into all spheres of life and their active social participation.However, the changing demands and conditions of the modern era have created a foundation for the marginalization of young people in the labor market, leading to the emergence of various social problems.This article analyzes the challenges of youth participation in the labor market and examines its social consequences.

The research deals with the question of how different resources affect the labour market integration of the long-term unemployed youth. The main hypothesis it advances is that the youth who have access to different resources will find more stable jobs or develop their own business after unemployment than those lacking such different kinds of support. In making the education and employment decisions during the transition from school to work, there is strong evidence of the importance for young people to make good initial career decisions and an enduring effect of academic achievement on labour market and education outcomes. This research is based on scientific discussion of different author opinions and survey results of young people as well as on views on the future vision of authors.

The main objective of this study was to examine people’s attitudes towards the integration of young people with disabilities in the army. Another objective was to examine the direct and indirect relationship between attitudes towards empathic ability and early acquaintance with a soldier with a disability. The sample included 649 participants, mean age = 27.64 (SD = 11.18). Attitudes were measured using three subscales: (1) the importance and contribution of integration, (2) labeling perception, and (3) the right to equality. Empathic ability was measured with a distinction between the cognitive and emotional aspects. The findings showed that most of the participants supported the integration of young people with disabilities in the army and reported more positive attitudes towards the integration of young people with physical disabilities than towards people with mental and cognitive disabilities. Empathic ability was found to make a direct and indirect positive contribution to attitudes through early acquaintance with soldiers with disabilities. The theoretical and applied implications of the present study are discussed.

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) interventions may benefit youth with problematic substance use (SU); however, the acceptability of these interventions in young people is poorly understood. In this mixed-methods study, predictors and correlates of treatment acceptability of PA interventions as part of SU treatment were investigated, and young people’s perspectives on PA intervention (e.g., perceived barriers and service-related needs) were explored.MethodsYoung people aged 16-25 years (n=145) with problematic SU completed a quantitative online survey on substance use, PA engagement, treatment acceptability, and perceived barriers and benefits of PA. Data were analysed using data mining and modelling approaches. Four participants aged 18-25 years participated in a subsequent, semi-structured focus group; data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated using an established model of behaviour change (COM-B). ResultsGeneralised additive modelling identified perceived PA barriers to be a predictor of treatment acceptability (p≤.001). Decision tree analyses confirmed that lower psychological distress (1st partition, p<.001) and higher PA levels (2nd partition, p=.03) predicted lower perceived PA barriers. Latent class analysis suggested a 2-class model differentiating young people at moderate substance-related risk, reporting low psychological distress and perceived PA barriers (class 1) from young people at severe substance-related risk, reporting higher psychological distress and perceived barriers. Qualitative findings revealed substantial barriers to PA, including substance-related, mental health, access, and social barriers. Together, findings illustrated complex interactions between different dimensions related to behaviour change and areas where clinical services may increase young people’s capability, opportunity and motivation to prompt behaviour change.ConclusionsPA levels and psychological distress predict perceived barriers to PA in young people with problematic SU. PA barriers predict treatment acceptability of PA interventions. Knowledge of such predictors may inform treatment decisions by clinicians. Young people’s insights should be integrated into PA intervention research to inform intervention and understand the unique barriers, preferences and needs of youth affected by problematic SU. Integration of young people’s perspectives may increase behaviour change, as well as motivation, engagement and positive feelings in young people participating in PA interventions within substance use treatment.

Problem Young people feel neglected in the leadership process of Rivers Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, Nigeria. On the other hand, the adults think that the young people lack the experience and skills needed to occupy positions of leadership. Unfortunately, while the young people are being marginalized in the leadership process, they constitute an overwhelming majority of the membership in Rivers Conference Method The mentoring approach adopted for equipping the young people of Rivers Conference as leaders in this project is a modification of Jesus' model of leadership proposed by Kreider (2008, p. 113). The process will be divided into four phases: Phase One, the awareness stage. During this phase the support of the Rivers Conference administrators will be enlisted and a series of awareness seminars conducted and four mentees chosen. Phase Two. During this phase, exclusive training workshops/seminars will be organized for the four selected mentees. This phase will last for six months. Phase Three. At this point, the mentor will take the mentees for practical on-the-field training. This phase will last for one year and afford mentees the privilege of engaging in actual ministry with the mentor. Phase Four. In this phase, mentees will be sent to minister alone and meet with mentor for debriefings and feedbacks. This phase will last for one year. In addition, the program presented above also relied on the author's theological foundation for ministry, literature review, Logical Framework Matrix, and Gantt chart to accomplish this task. Anticipated Results This project is expected to be implemented as planned. It is anticipated that the mentoring tools needed for the project will be ready and employed for the implementation, monitoring, and assessment of the project. Moreover, the researcher envisages enthusiastic support for the project from the Rivers Conference administrators. Furthermore, dedication on the part of the mentor and mentees to the entire process of this project is expected. Finally, the integration of young people as leaders in all the levels of the church life in Rivers Conference of SDA is anticipated. Conclusion Mentoring is an effective strategy for equipping and integrating the young people of Rivers Conference for leadership roles in Rivers Conference, Nigeria. It will afford the young people opportunity of gaining necessary skill and experience for leadership under the supervision of the adults, thus allaying fear of failure of the young people owing to lack of experience.

&lt;p&gt;Współczesna młodzież z niepełnosprawnością mimo świadomości własnych praw i potrzeb nadal zmaga się z wieloma barierami i ograniczeniami. Dylematy wynikające z dorosłości oraz samej niepełnosprawności u młodzieży z niepełnosprawnością rodzą wiele pytań o sens czy bezsens własnej egzystencji, o podmiotowość czy przedmiotowość osobową, ale i o sens zdarzeń, sytuacji, potrzeb. Młodzież z niepełnosprawnością stawia również pytania o własną tożsamość i jakość życia w sytuacji wchodzenia w dorosłość z problemem niepełnosprawności. W interdyscyplinarnym ujęciu tego zagadnienia koncepcja człowieka-podmiotu potwierdza przyjęcie podmiotu jako osoby, która spełnia się w realizacji osobistych zadań, jest pełna indywidualizmu, dąży do samorealizacji, może być podstawą do uzasadnienia paradygmatu zmian u młodych osób z niepełnosprawnością oraz może być próbą formułowania własnej, osobowej tożsamości. Młode osoby z niepełnosprawnością nie różnią się od swoich rówieśników w zakresie aspiracji i celów życiowych, jednak w sytuacji młodych osób z niepełnosprawnością można mówić o trudnym wkraczaniu w dorosłość. Prowadzone badania naukowe potwierdzają, że u młodych osób z niepełnosprawnością nadal występują problemy w zrozumieniu własnej tożsamości. Wyniki badań potwierdzają niskie poczucie przynależności społecznej i integracji młodych osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną w stopniu lekkim, dość niski poziom poczucia jakości własnego życia, niewielką świadomość własnej niezależności oraz możliwości podejmowania decyzji.&lt;/p&gt;

In recent years, the issue of public health literacy has received significant attention worldwide. Currently, it is of interest to study the health literacy levels of various target populations, which will enable the development of targeted, effective preventive strategies and interventions, and ultimately contribute to improving public health. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of health literacy among young people in Kazan and to develop measures to improve health education. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Young people aged 18–24 were surveyed online using the adapted HLS19-Q-RU_Russian questionnaire. A separate section included questions assessing navigational literacy. Literacy was assessed using a score of: over 83.33 points – excellent; 66.7–83.3 – sufficient; 50.0–66.6 – problematic; less than 50 – insufficient. Statistical data processing was performed using Excel (Microsoft 365) and the online calculator «Medical Statistics» (https://medstatistic.ru/calculators.html). To assess the statistical significance of differences in relative indicators, the Pearson χ2 test was calculated. Results. 361 people (153 men, 208 women) aged 18 to 24 years participated in the survey. 71.9% of respondents reported excellent, 15.2% adequate, 10.3% inadequate, and 2.6% insufficient levels of health literacy. The average level of navigational literacy among young people is sufficient (76.6 points), but 26.7% of respondents lack the skills to navigate the healthcare system. To search for health information, young people prefer to use digital resources (58.7%), as well as turn to healthcare professionals (18%) and others (parents, friends) (13.3%). The importance of television, radio, and printed materials as sources of information on health topics is extremely low, amounting to only 3.5%, 1.2%, and 5.1%, respectively. To improve health education and increase health and navigational literacy, a comprehensive approach is needed, including consideration of the psychological characteristics of the current generation of young people, gender differences, digitalization, work with healthcare professionals, and the integration of young people into the educational and professional environment.

In response to the challenge of increasing young people’s access to primary healthcare services, this study aimed to identify the places in the city of Vitória, Brazil, that they frequent and where they engage in their occupations. Participatory methodologies were employed—specifically, activity-based workshops and the photovoice technique—with the aim of supporting the health service in mapping the presence of young people and providing a basis for intervention strategies that are more closely contextualized to the reality of the youth in the locality. Six sessions were held between September and November 2023, involving eight young participants aged 12 to 16 years, all residing in two distinct neighbourhoods within the coverage area of the healthcare unit. The data were explored through thematic content analysis, from which three central themes emerged: (1) the places where young people carry out their occupations—these were found to occur predominantly in one of the neighbourhoods where they live and were mainly leisure-related occupations conducted in groups; (2) their relationship with the healthcare service—the findings indicate that young people do not feel at ease in the unit, attending it only in cases of established illness or emergencies, and that the team lacks the specific expertise required to work effectively with this population; and (3) proposals for health services working with young people—highlighting the importance of understanding youth occupations, their spaces and territories, as a means of reaffirming the centrality of occupation and place in everyday life, thereby enabling more appropriate and context-sensitive care practices.

Objectives This study analyzed the university employment support program to support college students' employment.&#x0D; Methods To this end, prior research on employment support programs was analyzed, and employment support programs were identified targeting comparative programs conducted by domestic university employment support centers in 2023.&#x0D; Results First, the most provided by universities is a career search program. Second, it appeared to be a program to increase employment competency. Third, it was identified as a practical support program for preparing for employment.&#x0D; Conclusions First, there is a need for a plan to systematically support employment competency and enable self-reflection. As a result of looking at various university employment support programs, it was found that em-ployment competency was important. Second, it is necessary to provide customized publicity and services for col-lege students for career and employment counseling. Accordingly, if you actively promote on YouTube and Instagram that college students easily access and use, it can be easier to recruit program personnel. Third, it is necessary to establish the employment support program system so that it can be actively used. In other words, if students can be systematically managed, it will be possible to develop ways to secure excellent talent and in-crease the interest of non-participating students.

Young people’s voices remain underrepresented in health policy processes. This scoping review focuses on the United Kingdom (UK) and investigates how and to what degree young people have participated in policy-making processes. We adapt an established framework categorizing how young people are involved in policy-related processes, ranging from advisory roles to communicating findings. We report a spectrum of practical examples, highlighting opportunities for successful policymaking with youth, in relation to key factors, such as type of involvement, role of facilitators, and the integration of young people in different stages of the process.