Get career support when you need it most

If you’re under 30 and looking for a job, apprenticeship, traineeship or continued education, the Youth Guarantee aims to ensure you receive a good-quality, concrete offer – not at some unclear time in the future, but within four months of leaving school or being out of work.

While you can explore the initiative without registering, accessing personalised support and receiving an offer typically requires you to sign up with your country’s public employment services or relevant national scheme.

So, where can you enrol? The Youth Guarantee is implemented by each EU country through its own tailored plan that focuses on paid, sustainable and quality jobs. These plans aim to avoid low-quality or unpaid internships. If you’re interested in registering, you can find your country’s contact points at this link.

A little bit of history

Although the Youth Guarantee had been around since 2013, the COVID pandemic prompted the EU to reinforce the initiative in 2020 to provide young people with more comprehensive support. It now caters to millions of people under 30 at risk of unemployment, offering personalised guidance to help them finding jobs or training opportunities.

So, has the Youth Guarantee achieved what it set out to do? Well, since its launch in 2013, the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) has dropped significantly. Overall, more than 63 million young people started an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeships and traineeships thanks to Youth Guarantee schemes.

Besides creating new opportunities and reducing youth unemployment, it has also led to reforms in EU countries’ public employment services that resulted in improved services targeting young people. For example, Ireland adopted the Pathways to Work Strategy 2021–2025, which included relaunching and expanding its Youth Employment Charter with employers to promote recruitment of young unemployed people through its public employment service. Another example is Spain, which introduced the 2021-2027 Youth Guarantee Plus Strategy for decent work for young people, which acts as a roadmap for all relevant stakeholders implementing the Youth Guarantee.

Taking your career abroad

While the Youth Guarantee provides support at national level, EURES is another valuable resource for those considering opportunities in another European country. Through a network of over 900 EURES Advisers, the service provides career guidance and information on the EU labour market, support with reviewing offers, and advice on training and language learning.

But that’s not all. It also runs the Targeted Mobility Scheme, funding your relocation, language courses and integration support, and organises the European Job Days – jobs fairs that take place throughout the year, connecting you directly with employers through online recruitment events.

So, whether you’re looking for opportunities at home or abroad, there is valuable guidance at your fingertips. All you need to do is reach out.

Read more about the support available in the EURES article New to the workforce? Let the EU make your road to employment easier. Or discover the impact the European Job Days have had in European Job Days: 15 years of connecting talent and opportunity across Europe.

Related links:

Youth Guarantee

Where to register for the Youth Guarantee

Targeted Mobility Scheme

European Job Days

New to the workforce? Let the EU make your road to employment easier

European Job Days: 15 years of connecting talent and opportunity across Europe

Read more:

European Job Days

Find EURES Advisers