Summary

Since 2008, the EU economy has experienced the deepest, longest and most broad-based recession in its history since the 1930s (European Commission 2009). The crisis prevented the European Union from reaching the target of having 70% of the working age population in employment by 2010.Youth unemployment levels are alarming, the average youth unemployment rate in most Member States is more than twice as high as the rate for adults. Almost 5.4 million young people under 25 are unemployed in the EU-28 (EC May 2014), representing an unemployment rate of 22.8%  i.e. more than one in five young European job-seekers cannot find a job; in Greece and Spain it is more than one in two. 7.5 million young people aged 15-24 are not employed, not in education and not in training (so-called NEETs). The gap between the countries with the highest and the lowest jobless rates for young people remains extremely high: there is a gap of more than 50 percentage points between Germany at 7.8% and Greece at 56.8%.The EU strategy Youth investing and empowering (European Commission, 2009b) acknowledges young people as a precious resource and as one of the most vulnerable groups in society, especially in the current global crisis.

However, Research shows that in Germany and the UK most employers report that they communicate with education providers at least several times a year. In Portugal, only a third do while Spain is the only country where most employers reported that their interactions with providers were actually effective.CAPE aims to bring together good practices in employer engagement from across Europe and through the establishment of employer forums and networks, encourage VET providers and second chance schools to improve dialogue and activity  with enterprises.  Research also shows that young people lack information, less than 25 percent have said they received sufficient information on postsecondary courses and careers to guide their decisions.

The CAPE consortium aims to address this situation by sharing good practices from across Europe and across sectors (VET , second chance and informal learning). CAPE will train teaching staffs, improve links with employers and  develop resources to support and improve careers advice and guidance given to young people at risk of ESL.

Too often young people are making career choices based on limited or outdated information. Employers complain that they cannot find employees with the required skills and competences.CAPE is not just a careers guidance project. The Cape targets: teachers, trainers and counsellors.

Partners

Stichting EURICON, The Netherlands
EfVET, The Netherlands
Scoala Gimnaziala Nr 5 Piatra Neamt, Romania
CONFEDERACION ESPANOLA DE CENTROS DE ENSENANZA ASOCIACION C.E.C.E., Spain
ANESPO, Portugal
Intercollege, Cyprus
Fogyatékos Személyek Esélyegyenlöségéért Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., Hungary
CESIE, Italy

Coordinator: Barbara Brodigan

Contact Details: Sztowarzyszenie Profilaktyczno-Wychowawcze Fenix, Poland

Duration: 01.09.2015-01.09.2017

Website: http://cape-project.eu 

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