Overview of the Implementation of the EU Youth Strategy in the Field of Employment

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides an overview of the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy for the promotion of youth employment and entrepreneurship in the EU Member States and four non-EU states: Croatia2, Montenegro, Norway and Switzerland. It relies upon the National Reports (NRs) presenting the policy initiatives designed and accomplished during the first cycle (2010-2012) in these countries and submitted in response to a questionnaire developed by the European Commission (EC) and an examination of policy documents, academic literature and statistical data. The comparative analysis reveals a shared awareness of the gravity of the problems accumulated in the labour market integration of young people and attests to the enormous efforts put forward on European, national, regional and local levels for overcoming youth disadvantage. It also highlights the opportunities created by sharing good practices and fostering of cooperation among all policy actors for supporting the young generation to make a successful entry in the world of work.