BACK IN TOWN – The role of industrial relations and social dialogue in supporting young people’s employment and social inclusion at an urban level

This project will strengthen the capacity of industrial relations and social dialogue to put in place youth-sensitive policies at an urban level, especially in those fragile cities which most need to retain and include young people.
Difficulties experienced by youngsters in accessing to and remaining in the labour market in some EU countries and regions determine on one side outgoing flows of skilled young people leaving their own city in search of better life and work opportunities; on the other, low-paid, poorly qualified and temporary contracts, which clearly contrast with the "decent job" aim settled by the EU. Particularly relevant is also the skill mismatch affecting unemployment and the high rate of NEET (with a range from 5.5% in the Netherlands and 23.1% in Italy, 39% in the South of Italy), among which there are many early school leavers and people who stopped looking for a job.
One quarter of young people in the EU is at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Active support for employment and social inclusion is one of the principles the European Pillar of Social Rights is based on, and social partners and policy makers at European, national, regional and local level, are called to a collective effort.
This project is promoted by an interdisciplinary team of academic researchers, social partners and local authorities with a view to carrying out an action research: to investigate how social partners and policy makers have supported youth employment and inclusion so far and understand how to seek a transformative change in a collaborative context to improve their capacity to develop, implement and monitor youth-oriented policy measures at an urban level.
We will carry out some desk/field research, set up practical tools, put in place participatory practices to engage with young people and realise training activities to reinforce and coordinate practices of urban bargaining at a company, sectoral and institutional level for shaping youth-friendly cities.