This document discusses youth employment and rural development policies in Europe and Spain. It provides statistics on high youth unemployment rates across Europe, particularly in Spain and rural areas. It outlines challenges in promoting youth and rural employment, including lack of skills, education, and job opportunities. The document then describes the policy framework in Spain and Europe, including programs to support training, entrepreneurship, recruitment incentives, and local development agents. It discusses the EU rural development policy and Leader program, which aim to foster economic growth, skills, and local partnerships.

1. O PIAŢĂ INCLUZIVĂ A MUNCII
ÎN MEDIUL RURAL
Bucharesti, 04.02.13
Alberto Cerdá Micó, ALMM expert
Contact: acm.frame@gmail.com

2. O) INDEX
A) CURRENT SITUATION OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT:
PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO RURAL AREAS
B) CHALLENGES IN YOUTH AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT POLICIES
C) POLICIES IN SPAIN
D) EUROPEAN POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR RURAL
DEVELOPMENT
E) LEADER PRINCIPLES

3. A) CURRENT SITUATION OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT:
PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO RURAL AREAS 2/2
• Youth unemployment rate is more than twice as the adult one: 22.7% against 9.2% in
the third quarter of 2012.
• chances for young unemployed finding a job are low, only 29.7% of those aged 15-24
and unemployed in 2010 found a job in 2011.
• When young people work, their jobs tend to be less stable: in 2012, 42.0% of young
employees were working on a temporary contract (four times as much as adults) and 32.0% part-time
(nearly twice the adults’ rate).
• Early school-lehavers are a high-risk group: 54.2% of them are not employed and within this
group about 70% want to work.
• In 2011, 12.9% of young people were neither in employment nor in education or
training (NEETs- NINIS in Spanish), about 7.5 million young people (aged 15-24).
• as much as 60% of total destroyed employments during last years were jobs of
people below 30 years old.
• 30.1% of the unemployed under 25 have been out of work for more than 12
months.
SOME FIGURES ON YOUTH IN EUROPE – Dramatic Situation

4. A) CURRENT SITUATION OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT:
PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO RURAL AREAS 2/2
• After Greece, we have highest unemployment rate of young people under 25:
52,6% and growing.
• Higher rate of temporary jobs, which is 65% among those under 25 (faced to
24% for general population or 14.1% for youth in the EU-15).
• unemployment rate in Spain according to educational level have differences up
to 20 points among those with just basic or primary education and those with
upper secondary or tertiary education: 67% and 47%;, 3rd quarter 2012.
• Just before the economic crisis, the percentage of young people who abandon
the school at 16 double the EU-27: 30% in Spain, EU-27 rate is 15%.
• Employment Rate in rural areas diminish more than in Urban areas: 5,7%
between 2008 and 2011; being one of the countries with a biggest decrease in
this indicator
• Natural migration from rural to urban areas on the one hand and EU Structural
Funds pushing back to fix population on Rural Areas (EARDF and LEADER
Approach).
SOME FIGURES ON YOUTH IN SPAIN – Terrific situation

5. B) CHALLENGES IN YOUTH AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT POLICIES 1/2
EU considers that youth employment promotion is possible by:
• Greater use of the European Social Fund
• Innovative approaches
• Support young people mobility: find jobs in other EU country
• Stronger partnerships between political authorities, business and
trade unions at EU, national, regional and local levels
• Synergy between structural, employment and rural development
policies. Member States should ensure complementarity and
coherence between actions to be financed by the different funds, like
the ERDF, the ESF or the EARDF
EU RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE EMPLOYABILITY

6. B) CHALLENGES IN YOUTH AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT POLICIES 2/2
• Support sustainable development in rural areas. Example the
environmental industry, made up of a broad spectrum of
organizations whose activities focus on prevention, management and
relief of the human activity impacts on the environment.
• Facilitate the access to information and communication technologies:
on-farm diversification towards non-agricultural activities, assistance
for off-farm activities, and strengthening the links between agriculture
and other sectors of the rural economy. Smart rural citizen
• Exchange of information on innovative services, products or activities
• develop local partnerships and networks for the youth facilitating their
access to decision-making process in local governance
EU RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE EMPLOYABILITY IN
RURAL AREAS

7. C) POLICIES IN SPAIN 1/6
EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY – Create more and better jobs. Targets:
• 75% employment rate for those between 20 to 64 years old
• Reduce early dropout school: below 10 %
• 40% of those between 30-34 years old should have higher
education
• Reducing by at least in 20 million the number of people at risk of
poverty and social exclusion
EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK
2012 NATIONAL EMPLYMENT REFORM, SPAIN
• Annual Employment Plan, specific for the young

8. C) POLICIES IN SPAIN 2/6
SPANISH EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY 2012-2014 vs ANNUAL EMPLOYMENT
PLANS
• Area of vocational guidance: workpaths
• Area of training and reskilling
• Area of job opportunities: create and maintain jobs
• Area of employment and on the job training opportunities:
• Area of promoting equal opportunities in employment
• Area of opportunities for groups with special difficulties
• Area of self-employment and entrepreneurship
• Area of promoting regional development and economic activity: local business
• Area of promoting job mobility: temporary or permanent to get a job
SPANISH FRAMEWORK

9. C) POLICIES IN SPAIN 3/6
• Training activities addressed for enterprises who commit to hire the young after
finalization of the program
• Training activities aimed at young (under 30 years) and low-skilled
• Professional Schools, where training is linked with practices in companies
• Program for the Agricultural Employment.
• Social Security reductions or exceptions with a time limit (or not) for hiring
unemployed
• elaboration of job pathways and career counseling
• Support the recruitment through the “apprenticeship contract”:from 1year to 3 to
unemployed under 30 who lack required professional skills. The social security
contributions are exempted during the contract. When the contract finish, if
extended as long term, there is a bonus of 1.500 (male) to 1800 (female) € on the
SS contribution
SPANISH FRAMEWORK: typical employment measures x young

10. C) POLICIES IN SPAIN 4/6
• Promotion of self-employment-entrepreneurship: young people under 25 pay a
reduced SS contribution (50 € instead of 250) during the first 6 months of the “start
up” and after 6 months a reduction of 30% (men under 30 years –women under
35).
• Employment financial incentive for SMEs (under 50 employees): a 3,000 € tax
deduction x hiring long term (minimum keep the contract for 3 years) for young
unemployed under 30 years.
Additionally if the youth is unemployed, a bonus for the Social Security
contributions for three years (about 1000 €).
If the youth is also beneficiary of unemployment benefits there is an additional tax
incentive.
SPANISH FRAMEWORK: typical employment measures x young

11. C) POLICIES IN SPAIN 5/6
-Placed in Local entities (Municipalities, Local employment offices, local
organizations like chambers of commerce/industry, etc.). Play a crucial role to
coordinate at local level the ALMM, Vocational Education Training (VET) and
Regional Development Policies
- The typical functions of a Spanish Local E&D Agent are:
• Exploration of leisure resources or those underused, of company projects suitable
for promoting the local economy and innovative initiatives for setting up work within
the local environment, identifying new economic activities and potential
entrepreneurs.
• Disseminate potential opportunities for training activities for job
seekers, promoters and entrepreneurs, as well as collaborating institutions.
SPANISH FRAMEWORK: Local Employment & Development Agents

12. C) POLICIES IN SPAIN 6/6
•Technical supervision for starting up business projects to enable them to be
trained in companies, assessing and providing information concerning the
technical, economic and financial viability of new companies.
• Support to company promoters, once the companies have been set up, providing
technical assessment during the early stages, providing technical advisory services
on company management .
-Set up network of local E&D agents, to encourage cooperation. Web site tool
-At Regional level there are as well “local employment Committees: Municipalities;
Employment Offices; Regional Development Agency; Social Partners (employers
associations, chambers, trade unions, NO’s)
SPANISH FRAMEWORK: Local Employment & Development Agents

13. D) EUROPEAN POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR RURAL
DEVELOPMENT 2007-2014 (Council Rg. 2005) 1/3
AXE 1 – Competitiveness agriculture and forestry:
• support for young farmers under 40 to facilitate their initial
establishment and for the structural adjustment of their farms
• support strong and dynamic European agro-food sector by focusing
on knowledge transfer, modernization, innovation and quality in the
food chain, investment in human capital.
AXE 2 – Environment and land management: biodiversity,
preservation and development of high value farming and forestry
systems and traditional
agricultural landscapes; water; and climate change
AXE 3 – Economic Driver: diversification of local economy TO
improve quality of life: promote capacity building, skills acquisition &
organisation for local development & help to ensure that rural areas
remain attractive x future generations. Economy diversification; small
scale infrastructure investment; training-skills

14. D) EUROPEAN POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR RURAL
DEVELOPMENT 2007-2014 2/3
• Leader is designed to help rural actors improve the long-term
potential of local areas encouraging implementation of
integrated, high-quality and original strategies for sustainable
development. Covers1 to 3 Axes
• drawn up - and implemented by broad-based local
partnerships, Local Action Groups (LAGs).
• Includes transnational and inter-territorial cooperation
between LAGs to exchange innovative experiences
AXE 4 – LEADER Approach
IV generation 2007-2013

15. D) EUROPEAN POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR RURAL
DEVELOPMENT 2007-2014 3/3
OTHER EUROPEAN INNITIATIVES
- Youth on the move (2010):
• Making education and training more relevant to young people's needs.
• grants to study or train in another country.
• simplifying the transition from education to work.
- Youth opportunities initiative (2012-2013):
• People who left school or training : return to school or enroll in vocational training
• For graduates to get a first work experience
- Youth employment package (2012):
• Ensure that traineeships offer high-quality work experience
• to work and train abroad
- Youth Guarantee (2012)
aged 25 receive a job, continued education or apprenticeship within four months of
leaving formal education or becoming unemployed

16. E) LEADER PRINCIPLES 1/2
New philosophies related to sustainable development linki
farming with:
- Increased productivity and food and feed safety.
- The development of a rural culture that supports the
conservation of biodiversity and natural resources.
- Local culture that encourages specialization of local products
and territorial designations-local identity.
- Democratic participation in rural areas,
Following the reform of the EU Structural Funds, in March
1991 it was adopted the initiative called LEADER. Principles
Partnership; multi-sector integration and innovation.

17. E) LEADER PRINCIPLES 2/2
- LEADER intervenes in a relatively small region (between ten and one
hundred thousand people) and in a way homogeneous.
- A vertical partnership is build among various institutions (municipal, regional,
national, European Commission), setting up broad guidelines, rules for the
selection and approval of projects, distribution of grants and co-
financing/contributions from each party.
- A horizontal partnership (Local Action Group - GAL), involving public and
private actors in the affected territory
Eligible measures included:
- Socio-economic revitalization.
- Valuation of rural heritage and local (improvement and equipping of small
urban, small industrial estates, etc..).
- Promotion of investment in local tourism and agro-tourism.
- Promoting small businesses and service craft.
- Development and improvement of infrastructure related to agricultural
production.
- Revaluation of potential agricultural and forestry production.
- Improving agricultural extension systems and forestry.

18. -
MERCI
GRACIAS/THANK YOU
Alberto Cerdá Micó, senior expert on Active
Labour Market Measures
Contact: acm.frame@gmail.com