Being NEET in Youthspaces of the EU South: A Post-recession Regional Perspective

Abstract

Youth unemployment and precarity have been expanding in the aftermath of the recent global recession. This article offers a theoretically informed empirical examination of the spatio-temporally uneven expansion of young people ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training’ (NEETs) between 2008 and 2018 in the European Union (EU) South, namely in Italy, Spain, Greece and Cyprus. This article contributes to the growing literature on youth inactivity and marginalization, by focusing on the spatial, rather than just the temporal dimension of youth which marks most relevant studies. The analysis engages with the concept of ‘youthspaces’ to critically analyse the economic, social and political spatialities that determine the dynamic relationship between youth and the labour market, and discuss the persistently high NEET rate in the EU South. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we highlight that gender, class, education and economic growth are key socio-spatial factors that determine the geographically uneven expansion of NEETs across the study regions.

Training in the age of liberalization and crisis: Understanding the learning experiences of young Active Labour Market Programme Participants

“…This matters because such an approach departs from accounts that see trainees' poor learning experiences as merely bureaucratic and implementation failures linked to corruption and nepotism (Ioannidis, 2017; Petmesidou & Polyzoidis, 2015). Instead, our approach highlights the value of understanding the limitations of applying universal models of training and learning in political economy contexts that are spatially geographically and historically constituted (Avagianou, Kapitsinis, et al, 2022). Therefore, the inability of the Greek labour market to produce jobs is the major cause of the low effectiveness of VET (longer‐term ones) so any reversal in the fortunes of this system requires a more rejuvenated labour market and a more rigorous State inspection system to prevent violations by employers (Karamessini, 2022; Papakitsos et al, 2020).…”

“…In that context, education and skill upgrading are viewed as insufficient to tackle a predominantly demand-side issue linked with the lack of stable working conditions (Avagianou, Kapitsinis, et al, 2022;Papakitsos et al, 2020).…”

“…In such an environment, a marked absence of State planning and funding in the areas of continuous vocational training coincided with the indifference and opportunism displayed by many players (Private Training Centers and specific firms). The latter used training programs to secure cheap labour and drove many young people to became disappointed with or excluded from learning and training activities (Avagianou, Kapitsinis, et al, 2022). There is also evidence that low investments and reduced productivity are the causes of limited investments in vocational training and not the outcomes as some accounts claim (Karamessini, 2022).…”

“…In that context, education and skill upgrading are viewed as insufficient to tackle a predominantly demand‐side issue linked with the lack of stable working conditions (Avagianou, Kapitsinis, et al, 2022; Papakitsos et al, 2020). Concurrently, a weak welfare state leads young people to rely on family support and often become completely disengaged from the labour market as evidenced by the high numbers of Greek young people who are NEET (Avagianou, Kizos, & Gialis, 2022).…”

Jeunes, Communication & Climat. Diversité des enjeux climatiques auprès des 15-24 ans en Belgique

“…Ce taux est aussi inférieur à celui de l'UE en général, ce qui n'était pas le cas il y a 20 ans. Et selon l'OCDE (2021), ce chiffre ne concerne pas davantage les femmes belges que les hommes belges, ce qui est rassurant par rapport à d'autres pays de l'UE (Avagianou et al, 2022). Par contre, l'IWEPS (2022) avance une différence notable entre les Régions belges : en Wallonie, 11,9% des jeunes de 18 à 24 ans ne suivent ni enseignement, ni formation et ne sont pas à l'emploi ; en Flandre ce taux est moins élevé, il est de 7,7% ; et c'est la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale qui est la plus touchée avec 13% de NEETs parmi les jeunes adultes.…”