UfM empowers Southern Mediterranean youth: investing in decent work and career guidance
- In collaboration with the German Development Cooperation and with the support of the European Union, the UfM Secretariat convened the 7th Meeting of the UfM Community of Practice (CoP) on Youth Employment in the Southern Mediterranean.
- The UfM Secretariat actively promotes decent work opportunities and career guidance initiatives for young people in the Southern Mediterranean region. This focus recognizes youth employment as a crucial driver of sustainable human development and inclusive economic growth.
Barcelona, 5-6 March 2024. The UfM Secretariat, together with the German Development Cooperation and with the support of the European Union, organised the 7th Meeting of the UfM Community of Practice (CoP) on Youth Employment in the Southern Mediterranean on 5-6 March 2024 at the UfM Secretariat’s premises in Barcelona. The Meeting focused on the topics of work-based learning, career guidance, data collection for better guidance, and decent work, with focused interventions delivered by representatives from the UfM, the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
As part of the Workshop, the CoP members participated in a field visit to the Catalan Youth Agency (Agència Catalana de la Joventut) to explore the work done by the Agency and learn from the best practices and success stories that can be replicated or scaled up.
The CoP was launched by the UfM Secretariat following the Ministerial Declaration of the UfM Employment and Labour Ministers adopted in 2022 in Marrakech, Morocco. Acting upon this mandate, the CoP uses the convening power and network of the UfM to bring together the most relevant on-the-ground actors and create a space of cooperation that collects, discusses, assesses and disseminates experience and best practices on employment and labour.
The 8th CoP Meeting is scheduled for December 2024 in Aswan, Egypt, and will be held back-to-back with the 3rd UfM Med4Jobs Stakeholder’ Dialogue.
Background
Despite vast human capital, the region faces persistently high rates of youth unemployment and NEETs (youth not in education, employment, or training). This situation is further complicated by rising informality and a shortage of decent work opportunities.
In this context, the Union for the Mediterranean is engaged in the implementation of specific projects and initiatives focused on the development of business, employment opportunities and employability skills. There is a particular emphasis on youth and women, thus addressing cross-cutting issues such as the promotion of women’s socio-economic empowerment and the enhancement of youth employability.
Med4Jobs is a flagship initiative from the Union for the Mediterranean to help increase the employability of young people and women, close the gap between labour demand and supply, and foster a culture of entrepreneurship and private-sector development. Developed by the UfM Secretariat, Med4Jobs is a cross-sector initiative driven by the need for an integrated regional response in the area of job creation.
Outcome Document – 7th Meeting of the CoP on Youth Employment in the Southern Mediterranean
