The ILO convened Southern Mediterranean stakeholders for the online launching event of the EU-funded regional Youth NEET programme in the Southern Mediterranean region (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory and Tunisia), a new initiative aimed at supporting young NEETs by making public policies and services more responsive to their needs.
The NEET rate, indicating youth not in education, employment, or training, poses individual and societal challenges, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region) where it exceeds, at 29%, the global average of 23%, and is significantly above the 12% of OECD countries. Individuals face health risks, social exclusion, and poor job prospects, while societies experience stunted economic growth and entrenched poverty cycles. These figures highlight the urgent need for targeted policies to address youth unemployment and improve labour force participation, especially among young women in the region.
Building upon the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour (Marrakech, 18 May 2022) and international commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (with a dedicated target 8.6 on young NEETs), this three-year EU-funded regional initiative implemented by the ILO will support Southern Mediterranean partners in promoting policies and services responsive to the needs of young NEETs.
The programme will be informed by existing policies and programmes, and will draw inspiration notably from the European Youth Guarantee's and its application in the Western Balkans. It will support the design and piloting of innovative interventions to reach, activate and support young NEETs' transitioning to decent work and decent living conditions in the region.
The online launching event brought together European Commission representatives including EU Delegations, government officials from the Southern Mediterranean region, workers' and employers' organizations, the ILO regional and country teams, the European Training Foundation, and the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat. The event fostered regional exchanges of experiences and best practices among stakeholders. It contributed to a shared understanding of the situation of young NEETs and raised awareness about the approach proposed by the new regional programme.
Stefano Dotto, Team Leader at the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission (DG NEAR) underlined that "the regional dimension of this initiative will foster peer-exchange and mutual inspiration to promote policies and services that are responsive to the needs of young NEETs in the Southern Neighbourhood".
Benjamin Van Zeveren, International Policy Officer at the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission (DG EMPL) highlighted that "in the EU, the Youth Guarantee has created opportunities for young people and acted as a powerful driver for structural reforms and innovation. As a result, the majority of public employment services (PES) have improved and expanded their services for young people".
Ms. Naima Barri, Head of the Job Seeker Services Division at ANAPEC, Morocco, said: "My government's new national employment strategy makes specific reference to the situation of NEET young people as a key public policy", hence the ministry's new name as the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills. The idea is to emphasize the aspect of socio-economic inclusion of a young person in a vulnerable situation, through a process of accompaniment and explicit involvement of this young person in the creation of an extended networking network. This networking will enable him to find the opportunity of a decent job and take a positive look at the change desired before this commitment, echoing Ghandi's quote "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Mr. Mounir Dakhli, Director of International Cooperation at Tunisia's Ministry of Employment and Professional Training, underlined the importance of the program: "A strategy to reduce NEETs must be based on a solid strategy of demand management and economic development, alongside other policies". He added: "We are actively reinforcing the initiatives undertaken by several actors dealing with NEET sub-categories, such as the 2nd chance programme or specific qualification training, because we believe that this support changes lives and helps these young people to overcome their vulnerability and move towards a concrete professional project. Indeed, "Man's greatness lies in his decision to be stronger than his condition".
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Halim Hamzoui, Director of CO-ALGIERS, emphasized the importance of sharing comparative practices from around the world on engaging NEET youth in the job market. He highlighted the goal of creating decent job opportunities and improving social justice, a key principle of the ILO, before concluding on his anticipation for reconvening in a few years with concrete examples and tested solutions for NEET youth, as well as good practices shared across countries.
About the regional Youth NEET programme (2024-2026)
The EU-funded programme implemented by the ILO aims at improving the situation of the region's young NEET population by increasing employment and training opportunities. This will be achieved by making public policies and practices more effective and responsive to their needs.
The programme will establish a demand-driven technical assistance facility offering tools, diagnostic, guidance and training services for policy-makers and public employment services. It will also foster regional exchanges of best practices and peer-learning. Emphasis will be given to green and digital economic pathways, as potential areas for future employment opportunities.
The programme will establish a baseline framework, coordination mechanism and field testing, providing the basis for designing long-term and sustainable strategies to support youth employment and NEET outreach in the region.
