In 2019 we launched Concreeto GO: an initiative through which we want to offer young people in Rotterdam better opportunities on the job market. According to the Rotterdam Court of Audit, the municipality failed to tackle youth unemployment. Reason enough to get started and show young people that our beautiful city has plenty to offer! But what is the status of youth unemployment now, after the corona crisis? We found some answers to that question that we’ll share with you in this blog.
MORE UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THAN AMONG ADULTS DURING THE CORONA CRISIS
The number of unemployed in Rotterdam in 2019 was higher than the national average. ‘Werk aan de Winkel‘, a report which was published at the beginning of 2019 by the Rotterdam Court of Audit, made this very clear. The municipality only managed to successfully guide one in ten unemployed people in Rotterdam to a job or training. For example, many young people do not even know that the municipality can offer help. Many young people are also convinced that they will not be helped properly. And many of the young people who do go and receive help drop out or quit after a while. So, youth unemployment is indeed a different problem to face.
Youth unemployment was already higher than general unemployment. The corona crisis has only reinforced this. In February 2020, 6.3% of young people were unemployed, according to figures from CBS (Statistics Netherlands). In August 2020, this number even increased to 11% of young people. Among the rest of the (working) population, unemployment was 4.6% in August 2020. In conclusion, unemployment was significantly higher among young people.
SO, DO YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE FEWER OPPORTUNITIES ANYWAY?
Recently, much has been said and spoken about the opportunities for young people. Do they not already have fewer opportunities on the job market? Due to the introduction of the loan system, young people often start their careers with a high student debt. In addition, housing prices have risen much in recent years, which means that young people are no longer always able to buy a house. To make matters even worse, we know that the corona crisis has led to increased unemployment. With all these things in mind, the question about opportunities for young people quickly arises.
Long-term unemployment, for example due to the recent crisis, can indeed have an effect on later life. For example: Research by Elsevier and the University of Bristol shows that young people who have been out of work for a longer period of time earn 14 to 21% less later. To prevent this, the cabinet has reserved almost 350 million euros to fight youth unemployment. We believe that that is the right thing to do. But is it enough?
TIME FOR ACTION: CONCREETO GO!
At Concreeto, we are convinced that youth unemployment can be reduced if everyone commits to it. Our initiative Concreeto GO can be part of the solution, together with companies that are willing to help! Offering internships or giving youths the opportunity to gain some experience can be a good first step. At Concreeto we have everything in-house to guide the candidate during the process. We offer guidance from a job coach and help employees with motivation and discipline. Together we ensure that young people from Rotterdam get the opportunities they deserve. Because Rotterdam truely has so much to offer.
Do you want to help fight youth unemployment? Please contact Concreeto. We are happy to help you along, so that we can help the youth together.
