The conference, which took place on March 24, 2015, in Brussels, was also attended by representatives of Center for Research and Studies GEA.
According to the European Commission, unemployment reached 24.6 million people in August 2014, out of which 5 million are aged 15 and 24. The economic recession has forced many to accept unpaid internships or become long-term unemployed – which leads to a lack of confidence, social exclusion, poorer health, depression and even suicide. Without doubt, youth unemployment is a profound challenge to the future of Europe

This international conference was an opportunity to discuss about challenges of existing labor market trends and to get familiarized on innovative ways for youth employment. The goal of the conference was to:

• Explore solutions to encourage jobs creation in the EU and to increase the attractiveness of youth entrepreneurship
• Discuss the role of employment services in tackling youth unemployment
• Assess trends and causes for skills mismatch and its impact on the labor market
• Share best practices in the field of innovative and experimental policy-making and implementation

The support of the Foundation Open Society institute enabled representatives of GEA, an organization experienced in the promotion of entrepreneurship and battle against unemployment, to attend this event and learn about new innovative approaches and ways of implementing related public policies.

The conference was attended by representatives of public and private employment services, think tank organizations and civil society, academic and business community, research organizations, etc.

The conference was organized by Public Policy Exchange, an organization seated in London, with an office in Brussels.