ACTIVER conference: 'Youth unemployment and active labour market policies'

ACTIVER conference: 'Youth unemployment and active labour market policies - trade union responses'

Friday, 11^th of July 2025 (full day, hybrid over Zoom & in Vilnius, Lithuania)

in English and Lithuanian language

Registration here

As part of the EU co-funded ACTIVER project, CESI aims to strengthen capacity and raise awareness of the vital role that workers, trade unions, and social partners play in shaping and implementing effective active labour market policies in today’s era of permacrisis.

The European Commission’s latest initiative, the Union of Skills, highlights education and lifelong learning as essential to reinforcing Europe’s workforce. Key measures such as the Basic Skills Action Plan, the European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training (VET), and the STEM Education Strategic Plan are crucial in addressing skills gaps and tackling concerning trends like illiteracy, underinvestment, and gender disparities. Trade unions play a dual role—facilitating smoother school-to-work transitions while also supporting career progression through reskilling and upskilling, particularly in response to the EU Green Deal and digital transformation. The rapid evolution of digital technologies and AI is reshaping the job market, posing risks of job displacement while also creating new opportunities.

Against the backdrop of geopolitical and economic challenges, CESI Youth invites experts, trade unionists, and policymakers to engage in a dynamic discussion on the complex educational and labour market challenges young people face today.

The proposed event aims to find answers to the following questions:

1.     What are the latest data, EU policy and legislative initiatives influencing the labour market, and how can young people contribute to creating a fairer and more balanced employment landscape?

2.     What role should trade unions play in supporting, addressing, and shaping active labour market policies to ensure fair, inclusive, high-quality, and personally enriching employment conditions?

Provisional agenda:

13:00      Welcome and Keynote addresses

Roxana Mînzatu, Execute Vice-President and European Commissioner for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness (tbc)

13:30      Setting the framework: EU & International Labour Organisation (ILO) strategies for skills for the future

Carlos Vacas, Research Officer in the Employment Unit of Eurofound

Steven Tobin, International Labour Organisation (ILO)

14:10      Jobs and skills in the EU: where to?

Inga Inga Nomeikienė, Lithuanian Public Employment Service Advisor

Sonja van Lieshout, Randstad (tbc)

14:40     A youth perspective to skills shortages, mismatches and labour market opportunities

Matthäus Fandrejewski, CESI Youth Representative and President of the youth section of           the German civil service federation ‘dbb Jugend’

Sara Rinaldo, CESI Youth Board 2021-2025 and CESI and leader of the CESI Working Group on the Future of Work

Claudia Pinto, European Youth Forum

15:10      A political approach to youth employment, skills and labour markets

Hristo Petrov, Member of the European Parliament

15:20      Open discussion with the audience - approaches and initiatives for the future

15:50      Closing remarks

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