Employability Versus Capability: European Strategies for Young People

Abstract

This paper seeks to complement the rich harvest of scientific findings and information collected through the work carried out by the Workable research team, carrying out the empirical analysis of the elements of the CA that can already be found within the European Union’s education and employment strategies set-up (mainly but not only) to address the growing rates of youth unemployment. In the search for a definition of the target group of our analysis, we move on from ‘Young people with fewer opportunities’ to ‘Young people not in education, employment or training’ (NEET). Further on, we give a brief overview of some of the main strategies that the EU has put in place to match the education-related headline targets set by Europe 2020, paying particular attention to the EC strategy to reduce early school leaving, to the measures initiated by the Youth Opportunity Initiative to tackle youth unemployment and to the EU policy cooperation implemented through the European Youth Strategy. Drawing upon some of the main concept designs developed by the Workable project (i.e., the definition of Capability for Voice, Capability for Education and Capability for Work), we then try to identify the CA-friendly elements within some of the above-mentioned policy measures developed and implemented by the EU. Lastly, we attempt to draw some recommendations for policymakers emphasizing the need to reshape their approach towards the youth (un-)employment first and foremost by putting the development of young people’s capabilities at the centre of the measures introduced to facilitate the transition from school to work and adult life.