Government of the Republic of Slovenia : Youth Guarantee and Appointment of a New High Representative for Succession

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia approves strategic measures to improve the position of the young in the labour market. By approving the Youth Guarantee, the Government will ensure that every young person between 15 and 29 will be offered employment (including an internship), job-related training, formal training or shorter forms of institutional or skills-focused training within four months of registering as unemployed with the Employment Service of Slovenia.   At today's session, the Government also appoints a new High Representative for Succession, also authorised to negotiate on the assumption of the guarantees on foreign-currency deposits within the Bank for International Settlements.

Youth Guarantee: the Government of the Republic of Slovenia approves strategic measures to improve the position of the young in the labour market

By approving the Youth Guarantee, the Government will ensure that every young person between 15 and 29 will be offered employment (including an internship), job-related training, formal training or shorter forms of institutional or skills-focused training within four months of registering as unemployed with the Employment Service of Slovenia.

At today's session, the Government approved the 2014-2015 implementation plan defining the Youth Guarantee implementation strategy, the role of public authorities and other organisations, the financing scheme, progress monitoring and time frame.

The unemployed will be able to benefit from these measures immediately after they register as unemployed and also if their unemployment has continued for an extended period. The measures will be adapted to the needs of specific target groups. In addition to measures targeting unemployed youth, the implementation plan includes a series of preventive measures aimed at school-age youth at all levels of education.

According to the Minister of Labour, Anja Mrak Kopač, Slovenia has taken a step further in comparison to other Member States, because it has expanded the group of young people included in the programme. Other Member States have set an age limit of 25 years, while Slovenia is also including people who are four years older.

The main goals of the guarantee scheme are:

- to improve the transition from education to employment
- faster activation of young unemployed and
- lower unemployment.

The implementation plan includes measures across different sectors that will contribute to higher employment among the young and activate the young to enter the job market, which is in accordance with the objectives of the Youth Guarantee. The plan focuses on crucial problems experienced by the young in the Slovenian labour market and responds to the challenges defined by the European Commission in the Youth Employment Package.

Over 157 million euros in total will be allocated to implement the Youth Guarantee scheme (in 2014, 74 million euros for 63,000 inclusions, and 83 million euros for 63,000 inclusions in 2015).

The document follows the structure proposed by the European Commission in order to ensure transparency and comparisons between implementation schemes in different member states. It includes 36 measures, which are categorised in four pillars:
- first pillar (preventive measures): scholarships, foreseeing labour-market demands, practical training during education, life-long career orientation, etc.,
- second pillar (measures immediately after registration of unemployment): preparation of individual plans, advice, inclusion in active employment policy measures, national vocational qualifications, project-based learning for youth, etc.,
- third pillar (after three months of unemployment):, mentorship schemes, entrepreneurial consultation, exemption from paying contributions - the third pillar focuses on target measures ranging from more in-depth consultation to including active employment policy measures aimed at increasing employment rates
- fourth pillar (after three months of unemployment): inclusion in active employment policy measures, co-financing internship, public works and the like

Crucial measures are connected with improving the assessment of future labour market needs, greater life-long career orientation at all levels of education to motivate the young to opt for qualifications that will give them greater employment opportunities. Moreover, there are more connections between the education process and the labour market, which is one of the biggest problems with regard to youth employment.

The funds to implement the measures will be provided from the budget, the budget items of the European Social Fund and own participation, which will include funds from the Youth Employment Initiative.

More information: Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Ms Aleksandra Klinar ([phone], soj.mddsz[@]gov.si).

The Government appoints a new High Representative for Succession, also authorised to negotiate on the assumption of the guarantees on foreign-currency deposits within the Bank for International Settlements

At its 43rd session, the Government relieved Rudolf Gabrovec of duty, appointing Ana Polak Petrič high Representative for Succession in his place. The Government also relieved Mr Gabrovec of his role as the person authorised to negotiate on the assumption of the guarantees on foreign-currency deposits within the Bank for International Settlements, also appointing Ana Polak Petrič to this position.

Slovenia's High Representative for Succession is responsible for implementing the Agreement on Succession Issue and represents the views of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. The High Representative is also authorised to negotiate on the assumption of the guarantees on foreign-currency deposits within the Bank for International Settlements and is a member of the coordinating committee on succession.