Southern Mediterranean countries explore new pathways for young people not in employment, education or training to reconnect with...

BARCELONA (ILO News)- Representatives of public employment services and labour ministries from Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia joined together for a peer-learning workshop with Catalan counterparts to understand the functioning of the European Youth Guarantee. The event was designed to further efforts of these countries to boost inclusion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Union under the regional Youth NEET programme, the study visit was organised and hosted by the Generalitat of Catalunya and the Catalan Public Employment Service. It combined regional peer dialogue with hands-on learning to share the Catalonian experience in identifying practical solutions for reaching and engaging vulnerable young people and improving effective pathways to education, training and employment with Southern Mediterranean partners.

The process began with a regional webinar in April 2026, bringing together more than 50 representatives from participating countries to exchange experiences and discuss ways to support young people facing multiple barriers to labour market participation.

Followed in June with a three-day peer-learning study visit in Barcelona enabled participants to observe first-hand how integrated public employment and training services can help young people reconnect with opportunities through coordinated and targeted outreach, personalized guidance, skills development and employer engagement.

It included visits to the Centre for Innovation and Vocational Training (CIFO), the Second Chance School El Llindar, as well as exchanges with private sector entities designed to highlight how cooperation between employment services, training providers, local organizations and employers can create more effective and inclusive support pathways.

The exchanges focussed on priority issues for Southern Mediterranean partners such as strengthening outreach to young people not registered with public services, improving profiling and referral systems, providing more individualized support and building stronger links between training opportunities and labour market demands.

Participants also examined how employers can contribute to smoother school-to-work transitions by offering practical learning opportunities and helping young people gain the skills required in the labour market.

The peer-learning process is one of the main pillars of the ILO-EU regional Youth NEET programme which focuses on cross-border dialogue, exchanges of best practices and acceleration of reforms to boost youth engagement across the Mediterranean region, a collective commitment under the Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Declaration on Employment of 2022. The study visit included a discussion with the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat, highlighting the connection between policy priorities and concrete implementation on the ground.

Lessons from the regional exchanges will inform ongoing efforts to strengthen public employment services, improve outreach strategies and develop more integrated support pathways for vulnerable youth. By combining peer learning with practical experience, countries are building knowledge and partnerships that can help ensure more young people gain access to education, training and decent work opportunities.

The initiative contributes to broader efforts to promote inclusive growth and expand opportunities for young people across the Mediterranean region through strengthened cooperation and knowledge-sharing between countries.

About the project

Funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, the Youth NEET regional programme supports countries in the Southern Mediterranean in developing more inclusive, coordinated and evidence-based approaches to reducing youth exclusion and improving pathways to employment, education and training. The project has expanded the understanding and evidence-base on the Youth NEET phenomenon and mobilised stakeholders towards addressing the needs of these youth. The project supports public employment services and key stakeholders in better coordination and development of holistic and targeted services to give young people at risk of exclusion access to education, training, apprenticeships, or paid work. The Youth NEET initiative takes inspiration from the EU Youth Guarantee model.