The conference on the 20th of September in Budapest, focused on the employment of disadvantaged youth.

While labour shortage in many Central-Eastern European countries raise the chances of disadvantages youth for successfully entering the labour market, still many young people face difficulties after completing vocational education. The situation can be further developed by the joint effort of employers, vocational schools and development initiatives.

Experts and project partners had been invited to talk about their good practices – in Hungary as well as in other European countries.

The event had been opened by the Olav Berstad, Norway’s ambassador to Hungary and Dominique Bé, the expert of the Directorate General for Employment Social Affairs & Inclusion.

A leading sociologist of the Budapest Institute hold a keynote speech on the educational and labour market situation of disadvantaged youth in Hungary and Europe.

Autonomia Foundation presented the approach and aims of the “Find your way to the word of work” project – vocational education, skill development and employment of disadvantaged youth in four European countries as well as the methodology and results of a closing project on the employment of highly educated Roma youth in the corporate sector.

An expert of the Central European University had been invited to briefly explain the impact assessment of the previous employment program.

Representatives of the partner organisations of the “Find your way to the word of work” project as well as educational experts and employers had been invited for a roundtable discussion of major issues and good practices.

The event attracted a 50-member audience and received a rather positive feedback.