First Results of the Implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative

First Results of the Implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative Slovakia Social Europe

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Unit F1: ESF and FEAD Policy and Legislation Contact: Resa Koleva-Demonty E-mail: resa.koleva-demonty@ec.europa.eu European Commission B-1049 Brussels

EUROPEAN COMMISSION First results of the implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative Slovakia Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). LEGAL NOTICE This study has been prepared under the specific contract No. VC/2015/0662 in the context of the Framework Contract No. VC/2013/0084 Analysis of the first results of the implementation of the 2014-2020 Operational Programmes Supported by the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and related YEI and ESF youth employment actions in the Member States in 2015 and 2016". The information and views set out in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission's behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://www.europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016 ISBN 978-92-79-60739-4 doi: 10.2767/83143 European Union, 2016 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Contents 1. Overview of programming of the YEI and related ESF youth employment actions... 1 2. Addressing the NEETs needs in 2014-2020... 2 2.1. Programming arrangements for the YEI interventions... 2 2.2. Programming arrangements for the ESF interventions... 6 3. Implementation progress up to November 2015... 6 3.1. Implementation of the YEI interventions... 6 3.2. Implementation of the ESF interventions... 9 4. Conclusions... 9 Updated evidence from the national evaluation... 10 Bibliography... 12 Annex 1 The youth employment situation... 14 Annex 2 Expected outputs and results of the YEI and other ESF youth employment actions... 15 Annex 3 List of interviewees... 16 Disclaimer: This report covers YEI actions programmed in the specified OP and ESF actions programmed under Investment Priority (IP) 8.ii Sustainable integration into the labour market of young people, in particular those not in employment, education or training, including young people at risk of social exclusion and young people from marginalised communities, including through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in the same OP. Only ESF actions under IP 8 ii., which are programmed in the same operational programme than the YEI are taken into account. This report is based on a desk review of documentary evidence including the national evaluation report, a survey of Managing Authorities and in-depth stakeholder interviews. Data collection for this report took place in October and November 2015, at which point up to date data was collected. As a consequence, the reference period for implementation progress is 1 September 2013 to November 2015 for the YEI and 1 January 2014 to November 2015 for other relevant ESF actions respectively. In March 2016, national evaluations submitted to the Commission by the end of 2015 were also reviewed. Data included in them may cover different reference periods.

1. Overview of programming of the YEI and related ESF youth employment actions In Slovakia, the Youth Employment Initiative is implemented through a separate dedicated priority axis (PA 2) within the Operational Programme Human Resources (OP HR), which was approved on 9 December 2014. In addition, targeted activities addressing unemployment of young NEET people are also part of other priority axes Education (PA 1), Employment (PA 3), Social Inclusion (PA 4) and Integration of marginalised Roma communities (PA 5). A specific objective for the PA 2 YEI within the OP HR is to increase the employment, employability and participation of young unemployed people, NEETs, in the labour market by implementing the Youth Guarantee. More specifically, the PA 2 YEI is designed to reduce inactivity of young people aged between 15 and 29, to increase youth employment, and to increase employability of young people, particularly low-skilled and long-term unemployed young people. The PA 2 YEI seeks to introduce new and innovative forms of support to young people with a view to training, job search and internships. It will be implemented through three main national projects and open calls for proposals. The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (MLSAF) is the Managing Authority for the entire OP HR, including the PA 2 YEI. The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family together with local Labour Offices implement the national projects in all regions of Slovakia, except for the administrative region of Bratislava, which is not eligible for YEI funding. Table 1 - Programming arrangements for youth employment interventions in 2014 2020 Title of the operational programme (OP) supported by the YEI Specific objective(s) of the YEI Specific objective(s) of other ESF youth employment actions beyond YEI OP Human resources 2.1.1. Increasing employment, employability and participation of young unemployed people, NEET, in the labour market by implementing the Youth Guarantee Overview of funding The PA 2 YEI is financed by a combination of funds from the YEI, ESF and national budget. The total budget allocation is 215,910,858, of which 72,175,259 is a specific YEI allocation, 122,175,259 is co-financed from the ESF and 21,560,340 is allocated from the national budget. The MLSAF has come to an agreement with the Ministry of Finance that all activities within the PA 2 YEI are funded proportionally from YEI, ESF and national budgets. The MLSAF decided to allocate funds for individual activities according to monitoring criteria, rather than according to financial sources. 1

Table 2 - Funding for the YEI and other ESF youth employment actions (EUR) YEI Other ESF actions under Investment Priority 8.ii Total sum: 215 910 858 Total sum: Specific allocation for YEI (EU) Corresponding national ESF allocation Co-financing from the national budget ESF part Co-financing from the national budget Sum: 72,175,259 Sum: 122,175,259 Sum: 21,560,340 Sum: Sum: Pre-financing for YEI in 2014-2015 (EU) Sum: EUR 21,652,578 Source: Implementation report snapshot SK 2014; Accelerated pre-financing for the Youth Employment Initiative: Questions and Answers http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_memo-15-5020_en.htm 2. Addressing the NEETs needs in 2014-2020 2.1. Programming arrangements for the YEI interventions Target groups Strategically, the PA 2 YEI exclusively targets the NEET youth up to 29 years who are registered in the jobseekers register. In the age group 25-29 years, this covers in particular long-term unemployed (over 12 months) or young people (aged 15 24) unemployed over 6 months 1. According to the approved OP HR, the PA 2 YEI is expected to provide support to 77,800 young people not in employment, education or training. More specifically, the adopted measures target the following specific NEET groups: low skilled jobseekers under the age of 29; long-term jobseekers (over 12 months) under the age of 29, including Roma; NEET under the age of 29, who have been in the jobseekers register for a minimum of 6 months; NEET under the age of 25, who have been in the jobseekers register for a minimum of 3 months; jobseekers under the age of 26 who completed their education less than 2 years ago and who were not regularly employed before entering the jobseekers register. Inactive young people between 15 and 29 years of age who are out of the labour market and not registered as jobseekers are a specific group. For this target group, the PA 2 YEI measures are available once they are registered. The PA 2 is therefore complemented by activities in PA 4 Social Inclusion aimed at various social inclusion and activation measures (such as identification, counselling, accompanying, and various programmes for gaining social skills). The PA 4 will also support active work with the young unregistered unemployed. The main goal is to activate them to find work by registering at the local labour office. They are also encouraged to enter education (second chance schools, etc.) to gain qualifications. National projects involving social fieldwork and community centres will serve as the main tools for the activation of the young unemployment, who are unregistered. 1 National Youth Guarantee Implementation plan, Slovak Republic, April 2014. 2

Type of activities planned The young NEET people will be supported through a number of new national projects within the PA 2 YEI that are currently being finalised and launched. These new measures built on experiences and results from activities (national projects and calls) funded within the previous programming period (2007-2013). New national projects: 1. Graduate employment practice starts employment (Absolventská prax štartuje zamestnanie) will provide active labour market services through supporting job traineeships/graduate practice and subsidised employment for school graduates jobseekers from the NEET group. 2. Practice to employment (Praxou k zamestnaniu) aims to help young people up to 29 years of age to gain on-the-job training, enhance their professional skills and thus improve their employment chances in the labour market. 3. Successfully into the Labour Market (Úspešne na trhu práce) will support job creation for the first regular paid employment for the young NEET people. In addition to the national projects, two calls for proposals for financial subsidy will be launched at the beginning of 2016 Initiative to support young self-employed people (Iniciatíva na podporu samostatne zárobkovo činnných mladých) and The support to the first entry into the labour market for specific groups of young people (Podpora prvého vstupu špecifických skupín mladých ľudí na trh práce). More details on the national projects are provided in Box 1. Box 1 Examples of actions supported by the YEI Graduate employment practice starts employment (Absolventská prax štartuje zamestnanie) is planned for a period of 5 years from autumn 2015 to November 2020. The overall amount allocated for this activity is 50 million. 2 The national project includes two main lines of activities: i) the first activity provides a financial flat-rate allowance to graduates during their graduate practice (internships) for three to six months, for 20 hours a week. It is not possible to receive a subsidy for a renewal and duplication of work; ii) the second activity provides financial subsidies to employers who create a position for jobseekers from the eligible target group for at least nine months. The position is subsidised for the first six months and subsequently financed by the employer for at least three additional months. After the completion of the programme, the trainee will obtain a letter of Confirmation of Graduate Practice from the employer. It is expected that 37,000 young graduates from the eligible NEET groups will receive a financial contribution during their graduate practice/internship and 10,000 of them will participate in activity 2. Practice to employment (Praxou k zamestnaniu) encourages an innovative approach in Slovakia by combining support for the acquisition of professional skills through job mentoring with subsequent subsidised part-time employment. The national project aims at equipping young people with the professional skills they lack for the workplace and to enable employers to select employees who best meet their needs. Implementation of the national project is planned from autumn 2015 until December 2019 and the overall amount allocated for this flagship initiative is 48.9 million. The target groups are unemployed jobseekers from the 25 to 29 years, who are on the jobseekers register for at least six months. Unemployed jobseekers under 25 years are eligible, if they are on the register for at least three months. The national project will support 16,000 jobseekers to participate in 2 Information on this national project retrieved from the Open call at the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. Available at http://www.employment.gov.sk/files/slovensky/esf/op-ludske-zdroje/vyzvania/vyzvanieabsolventska-prax-startuje-zamestnanie-nove.pdf 3

on-the-job training and receive part-time employment for at least nine months. While the project is primarily intended for private businesses, non-profit organisations, municipalities and regional authorities and other public organisations are also eligible. Employers can ask for subsidies if they provide on-the-job mentoring and a part-time job for at least nine months for young NEET people. The project will contribute up to 95 % of the total labour cost 3. Such contribution may reach a maximum of 256.88 per month for part-time (1/2) work (for comparison, the minimal monthly wage in 2015 is 380). During the first mentoring period of three to six months, the young people will be provided with the support of a so-called work mentor, who is usually one of the regular experienced employees. Each work mentor can provide mentoring to a maximum of three young mentees. The project will provide a financial contribution for the mentoring service in the amount of no more than 64.22 per month per mentee. After completion of the mentoring period, the subsidised part-time employment will continue for a maximum nine months. After that, the employers may decide to continue with the employment. The local Labour Offices will also contribute an amount of 56.65 for personal work and protective equipment and tools during the mentoring period and then once again, during the part-time employment period. The overall maximum subsidy per young jobseeker is 2,810.54. According to the head of the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family 4, the main difference between this project and the Graduate employment practice starts employment is that a job applicant has a real job part-time, is assigned a mentor to assist her/him to acquire skills and knowledge and is in employment. In addition, as the employer has to contribute 5 % of the salary, it is expected that the relationship between the employer and the young employee will be different than when an employer bears no cost. Another difference is the fact that while the young person remains registered as job seeking during the graduate practice, he/she is taken off the register during their participation in this measure. The national project Successfully into the Labour Market (Úspešne na trhu práce) is planned for a period of three years, from October 2015 to October 2018. The overall amount allocated for this flagship initiative is almost 50 million. The national project aims to increase the employment, employability and participation of young people in the labour market primarily through first job support through subsidised employment or self-employment. The project will be implemented through two main activities. The first activity focuses on providing subsidies to employers to support the first regular paid employment for the young jobseekers from the eligible NEET groups for a period of six to twelve months. Maximum amount provided is 419 per month. This activity will provide opportunities for the first regular paid job for 5,037 participants. The second activity is intended to provide financial contributions to support job creation through selfemployment. The aim is to support 5,250 young jobseekers from eligible target groups to promote selfemployment and is aimed at the development of micro-enterprises. The eligible young people can receive a one-off financial contribution per job created up to a maximum EUR 3,500. 3 In 2015, the total labour cost is 1132,96 EUR, as calculated by the Statistical Office. 4 Štát rozbieha projekt na podporu prvého zamestnania. Pravda, 21.9.2015. 4

Expected outputs and results The implementation of the YEI aims to reduce the rate of inactivity in the NEET youth group, increase youth employment, and increase the employability of young people, particularly young people with few qualifications and long-term unemployed. According to the Annual Implementation Report, prepared by the MLSAF in April 2015, the new measures planned within the PA 2 YEI for the period 2015-2020 will support 54,460 NEETs in total. It is expected, that 19,450 persons who participate in the YEI activities will receive an offer of employment, further education, apprenticeship or training after leaving the project and 19 450 participants will remain in employment six months after leaving the project. More result indicators are listed in Annex 2. However, with the elaboration of the national projects plans in summer/autumn 2015, these targets have been further specified and actually increased. According to information obtained from interviews with the representatives of the Central Office, altogether, 63,287 participants 5 will benefit from the three main flagship initiatives. As confirmed by the interviewees from the MLSAF, it is expected that the implementation of the PA 2 YEI (the national projects and the calls) will increase the career opportunities of young people on the labour market through the acquisition of professional skills and competences, provide incentives for employers to employ young people; and ultimately, promote employability and employment of the targeted NEET groups. Eventually, these measures will help to reduce youth unemployment in Slovakia. Added value and national significance of YEI interventions In accordance with the Council country-specific recommendations, addressing youth unemployment required special attention. Indeed, youth unemployment has become one of the main focuses of the Government s employment strategy in recent years. As part of the national implementation plan for the Youth Guarantee, the Government has prepared a number of support measures for NEET youth employment, including the allocation of substantial financial resources. The governmental support for young NEET people is directed to a quality offer of employment, further education, apprenticeships or internships within four months after the loss of employment or completion of formal education. Legislative changes introduced in 2014 have improved the systemic environment necessary for implementing the Youth Guarantee. They created an opportunity to promote a workplace for young people aged up to 29 in their first regular paid employment and encouraged the concept of the right of first employment. Consequently, the new PA 2 YEI measures aim to ensure a rapid implementation of the Youth Guarantee. Altogether, the national projects and calls will provide a comprehensive offer at a national level, in all regions (apart from the Bratislava region) for specific targeted groups of young NEET. They were designed to be more effective in addressing diversified unemployment in individual Slovak regions. They put greater emphasis on disadvantaged groups by targeting specific young NEET groups, particularly long-term unemployed and low skilled. Based on the experiences with project implementation within the Operational Programme Employment and Social Inclusion in the 2007-2013 programming period, the PA 2 YEI will promote improved, as well as new and innovative forms of support for young people with a view to training, job search, and internships. The national project Graduate Employment Practice Starts Employment modified the graduate practice/internship so that it has become an employment and the intern is taken off the jobseekers register. At the moment, the MLSAF 5 The number was calculated from targets for all three national projects. 5

considers the Practice to Employment as the most innovative and probably most compelling measure as it combines on-the-job mentoring with actual employment thus most effectively combining improvement of professional skills with employability chances for the NEET youth. The support provided by the new measures aims both at the demand and supply aspect of the labour market. These measures will support creation of jobs, as well as promote the adaptability of workers and business enterprises. The national project Successfully into the Labour Market will support sustainable self-employment and start-up enterprises. 2.2. Programming arrangements for the ESF interventions The MLSAF has come to an agreement with the Ministry of Finance that all activities within the PA 2 are funded proportionally from YEI, ESF and national sources. The MLSAF decided to allocate funds for individual measures (programme, projects and calls) according to monitoring criteria, rather than according to financial sources. It is therefore not possible to differentiate between YEI and ESF interventions. 3. Implementation progress up to November 2015 3.1. Implementation of the YEI interventions YEI supported actions launched up to November 2015 National project Graduate employment practice starts employment - launched at the end of September 2015, with a deadline for the first applications of 30 November 2015. National project Practice to Employment launched in October 2015. National project Successfully into the Labour Market will be launched before the end of 2015. Ongoing activities Until summer 2015, Slovakia continued with the implementation of measures funded from the previous OP Employment and Social Inclusion from the 2007-2013 funding period. Two national projects No. XX Support to Employment in Public Administration (Podpora zamestnávania v samospráve) and No. XXI Support to Jobs Creation (Podpora vytvárania pracovných miest) in particular have been providing support to employment of young NEET groups. Experiences from these projects have been reflected in the planning process of the PA 2 YEI activities. After the approval of the Operational Programme Human Resources at the end of 2014, the MLSAF started to set up procedural mechanisms for the implementation of YEI, including establishment of the Commission for Priority Axes 2,3, and 4 at the Monitoring Committee for OP HR. The MLSAF, together with the Commission, prepared and approved frameworks for the three national projects for the PA 2. The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family has further developed these frameworks into full plans with methodologies, monitoring criteria and budgets that are being gradually endorsed by the managing authority (MLSAF) in autumn 2015. The Central Office, together with the local Labour Offices, as the main implementing bodies for the national projects, launched the first two national projects - Graduate employment practice starts employment and Practice to employment in October 2015. It is expected that the third national project Successfully into the Labour Market will be endorsed and launched by the end of 2015. In 6

autumn 2015 the MLSAF has been finalising information and media campaigns to accompany the national projects. Funding up to November 2015 From the overall YEI budget ( 215,910,858), 175 million have been already committed. Each national project has a budget of 50 million, and the two new calls for specific groups will have budgets of 10 million and 15 million respectively. The remaining amount of approximately 41 million has not yet been committed. Up to November 2015, two national projects - Graduate employment practice starts employment and Practice to Employment have been or are just to be endorsed (signed by the Minister) and contracted out with the overall amount of 100 million. With the actual implementation of the national projects just starting, there was no need to use the additional pre-financing for the YEI in 2015. As the first calls for proposals for a financial subsidy have just been launched, it is too early to provide figures for the amount paid out to beneficiaries. According to the representative from the managing authority, the MLSAF expects that most of the funds for the three national projects will be contracted out by next year. The ministry expects that the committed 150 million for the national projects will be spent in the next few years, before 2018 and well before the projected official end of the projects. The MLSAF will reassess the budgetary situation in 2016 and, if necessary, make internal adjustments within the national projects, change the project s design or replace it with a new one. However, experiences from the previous national projects targeting young unemployed people (funded from the previous funding programme) have shown high interest in subsidised employment. The allocated 70 million for the previous national projects have all been quickly spent. Table 3 - The amount of funding up to November 2015 (EUR) Total (EUR) Share of total amount budgeted (%) Amount of funding committed 175,000,000 81 Amount of funding contracted out 100,000,000 46.3 Amount of funding paid out to beneficiaries NA NA Source: Interviews with representatives from the MLSAF. Outputs and results achieved up to November 2015 Since the planned PA 2 YEI activities have just been launched or are just about to start, it is too early to discuss any achieved results. The first data from the national project Practice to Employment, as collected by the Central Office, indicate that the local Labour Offices received 94 proposals for 207 subsidised jobs in the first month. The proposals have been reviewed by the Committees established at the Labour Offices, consisting of representatives of social partners. So far, 70 contracts have been signed to create 69 job positions for the targeted young NEETs 6. However, it was not possible to get further information on the characteristics of these participants. 6 Information obtained from the phone interview with representatives of the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. 7

Table 4 - Key characteristics of the NEET target population supported (number of individuals) 15-24 years 25-29 years Female Male ISCED11 Levels 0-2 ISCED11 Levels 3-8 Unemployed - - - - - - - - Source: Data not available Communication of the YEI Inactive The MLSAF and the Central Office have been working on information and media campaigns to raise awareness about the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and PA 2 YEI measures available for young jobseekers from the NEET groups and employers who want to create jobs for the NEET youth. According to the representative from the Central Office, the campaign will be a combination of a media campaign (TV, radio), websites, information leaflets, posters, digital media, as well as presentations at information events for jobseekers (e.g. Job Expo). It is expected that the campaigns will be launched at the end of 2015/beginning of 2016 7. The local Labour Offices provide ongoing information to young people, in particular to jobseekers under 25 years, about the availability of employment services and access to selfservice information portals of job offers in the labour market. Employers are also informed at special meetings and seminars organised by the Labour Offices. Information on the national projects will be also presented at regular information events, such as Job Market (Burza práce) or Information exchange (Burza informácií) 8. Risks and challenges All interviewees agreed that one of the main risks and challenges for the successful implementation of the national projects is the significant administrative burden that is linked with submitting a proposal for the subsidised jobs. The selection and monitoring criteria are very strict and require a substantial amount of paper work from the employers. This demanding administration may discourage some employers, particularly from small enterprises and NGOs as they may not have the human resources for these additional administrative requirements. The MLSAF, together with the Central Office are aware of this and are considering whether there are options for reducing the administrative requirements. Another challenge is the implementing and spending capacity of local labour offices. Once approved, financial resources from the national project budgets are distributed among the Labour offices according to specific criteria, including the regional unemployment rates. Based on past experiences, the MLSAF expects that not all Labour offices will be able to contract out all allocated funds. To address this challenge, the funds will be reallocated among the labour offices, based on their spending capacity. Regional differences constitute another challenge. Although the national projects are implemented nationwide, there is a possibility that more jobs will be created in regions where are more employers, more business and enterprises. It is possible that in regions with lower employment and a less dynamic labour market, the young NEET jobseekers will have fewer opportunities to participate in the activities provided by the national projects. However, it is too early yet to see to what extent regional differences and employment opportunities will affect PA2 YEI implementation. The MLSAF is prepared for the option that the 7 Information obtained from interviews and follow up emails. 8 Ibid. 8

national projects will be adjusted according to their popularity. In a year or two, if some national projects are more successful than others, funds may be reallocated and project plans adjusted. Despite these challenges, the interviewees felt confident that the set targets and expected results are realistic and will be achieved. Their confidence comes from the results and achievements of the national projects funded within the previous funding programme. 3.2. Implementation of the ESF interventions As explained earlier, the PA 2 YEI activities are funded proportionally from YEI, ESF and national sources. They are not designed as specific YEI and ESF interventions. 4. Conclusions The main focus of the PA 2 YEI within the new OP HR is on providing financial support to a first regular paid job and creating new jobs for the NEET groups. The aim is to implement programme alternatives for increasing the employment and employability of young people so that the number of young unemployed people can be reduced. In the next few years, the concentrated efforts to reduce youth unemployment in Slovakia through the three national projects will constitute one of the two main vehicles to implement the Youth Guarantee. The second key element of the Youth Guarantee implementation plan is the structural reform of vocational education and training and the follow-up activities supported within the PA 1 Education. As the PA 2 YEI national projects are launched almost in parallel, they will provide alternative opportunities (such as internships, part time jobs, mentoring and full-time jobs, or selfemployment) for employers and young jobseekers from the targeted NEET groups to find the most suitable measure that will help them to enter the labour market. At this point in time, it is too early to assess whether all national projects will be equally attractive and effective. The PA 2YEI has been designed specifically for young NEET groups under 29 years who are registered on the jobseekers register. The Government has decided that those NEET who are not registered within public employment services (jobseekers register) will be targeted through measures within the PA 4 Social Inclusion and PA 5 Integration of Marginalised Communities. This is a considerable group of inactive and not registered young NEET people that will be supported mainly through social fieldwork and community centre activities. It is yet to be seen whether and to what extent this approach will provide effective support to the most vulnerable and marginalised groups and help them to enter the labour market. 9

Updated evidence from the national evaluation Type of evaluation The evaluation report is the result of an internal assessment carried out under the auspices of the Department of Labour in cooperation with the Division of EU funds of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (MLSAF) and the data provided by the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. Target groups of the evaluation report are the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission, experts and the general public. As the first national projects were contracted out over November-December 2015, they are in the early stages of implementation. Therefore, the evaluation report does not include data on measurable outputs or disbursement of YEI/ESF funds for the current reporting period. The report states that at this stage it is not possible to assess the effectiveness of the YEI/ESF funds, and the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed YEI implementation mechanism. Relevant data is expected to be available for the ex-post evaluation. Quality of the evaluation The evaluation report provides an updated narrative on the implementation progress of the Youth Guarantee and YEI, including a general description of YEI/ESF measures adopted in 2015 (national projects). There is no data available on funding and outcomes. A full evaluation is planned after the implementation of the national projects. The ex-post evaluation of the first national project Successfully into the Labour Market is expected in 2018. The national projects Practice to Employment and Graduate practice starts work will be evaluated in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Reference period for the evaluation The assessment covers the period from September 2013 to December 2015. Key findings from the evaluation The MLSAF concentrates its efforts on reducing youth unemployment in Slovakia through the Youth Guarantee and YEI implementation in combination with vocational education reform and other active labour market measures. The report states that the implemented employment subsidies have motivated employers to employ jobseekers under the age of 29 who have not been in previous regular paid employment. However, limited evidence is provided. During 2014-2015 local Labour offices underwent significant transformation, including an improved provision of employment services with an emphasis on a personalised approach that takes account of all the individual needs and characteristics of jobseekers. It is not clear from the evaluation whether this has been due to YEI or ESF funding. The MLSAF plans to launch several projects specifically focused on young people with disabilities and young people in foster homes, crisis centres, re-education facilities, social reintegration centres, youth who have served time in prison, or who are homeless. The projects will aim to remove obstacles to entering the labour market for these target groups. The MLSAF plans to launch a project aimed at supporting young people starting a business. 10

Updated information from the evaluation Funding: The evaluation report provides no specific data on the funding of national projects. Activities: The national evaluation confirms the information and findings on the main YEI activities as described in the Country Chapter. Outputs: The evaluation does not provide any additional information on the YEI outputs; it fully confirms the country chapter. The section on YEI outcomes provides an overview of legislative changes, changes in vocational education, and active labour market measures adopted as part of the YEI implementation since 2013. The national evaluation report also includes 2015 data on outputs from the implementation of measures funded from the previous 2007-2013 funding period for the OP Employment and Social Inclusion. Results: The evaluation does not provide any additional information other than that provided in the country chapter. Learning around challenges and risks: The national evaluation confirms the findings in the Country Chapter. 11

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Ústredie práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny, Oznámenie o možnosti predkladania žiadostí o poskytnutie finančných príspevkov na mentorované zapracovanie a prax u zamestnávateľa, ktorý na tento účel vytvorí pracovné miesto v rámci národného projektu praxou k zamestnaniu. (Information about the possibility for financial contributions for on-the-job mentoring and employment practice at employer who creates a job for this task within the framework of the national project Practice to Employment ), September 2015. Available online http://www.upsvar.sk/buxus/docs/kgr/cerna/oznamenie_o_moznosti_predkladania_ziadosti_ o_poskytnutie_financnych_prispevkov.pdf [Accessed 6 November 2015]. 13

Annex 1 The youth employment situation Proportion and characteristics of NEET population in a country (age groups 15 24 and 25 29) NEET proportion in the respective age group (%) AGE GROUP 15 24 NEET proportion by sex (%) Female Male NEET proportion by education (%) ISCED11 Levels 0-2 9 NEET proportion by labour market status (%) ISCED11 Levels 3-8 10 Unemployed Inactive 2013 13.7 13.1 14.2 3.8 9.9 10.0 3.7 2014 12.8 12.8 12.8 4.1 8.7 8.6 4.2 AGE GROUP 25-29 2013 27,8 36,4 19.5 4.3 23.5 14.8 13.0 2014 27,1 36,1 18.4 5.2 21.8 12.9 14.2 Source: Eurostat yth_empl_160, yth_empl_150, accessed 04 November 2015. Proportion and characteristics of young unemployed in your country (age groups 15 24 and 25 29) Total youth unemployment rate (%) AGE GROUP 15 24 Youth unemployment rate by sex (%) Female Male Youth unemployment rate by education level (%) ISCED11 Levels 0-2 11 ISCED11 Levels 3-4 12 ISCED11 Levels 5-8 13 2013 33.7 31.6 34.9 58.1 30,8 30,8 2014 29.7 30.1 29.5 55,7 26,4 30,0 AGE GROUP 25-29 2013 18.6 18.3 18.7 59.2 18.3 13,5 2014 16.1 14.9 16.9 47.8 15.4 11,8 Source: Eurostat yth_empl_090, accessed 04 November 2015. 9 Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education. 10 Upper secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education. 11 Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education. 12 Upper secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary education. 13 Tertiary education. 14

Annex 2 Expected outputs and results of the YEI and other ESF youth employment actions Output indicators Youth Employment Initiative: Target values Reference population of the output indicator Result indicators Youth Employment Initiative: Unemployed participants who completed participation in YEI/ESF-supported intervention Unemployed participants who received an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship after leaving Unemployed participants who are in education/training, gained a qualification, or are in employment, including self-employment, after leaving Long-term unemployed participants who completed participation in YEI/ESF-supported intervention Long-term unemployed participants who received an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship after leaving Long-term unemployed participants who are in education/training, gained a qualification, or are in employment, including self-employment, after leaving Inactive participants not in education or training who completed participation in YEI/ESFsupported intervention Inactive participants not in education or training who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship after leaving Inactive participants not in education or training who are in education/training, gained a qualification, or are in employment, including self-employment, after leaving Participants in continued education, training programmes leading to a qualification, an apprenticeship or a traineeship six months after leaving Participants in employment six months after leaving Participants in self-employment six months after leaving Target values (2023) 54,460 19,450 38,900 27,230 9,725 19,450 0 0 0 3,890 19,450 2,334 Reference population of the result indicator Source: Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, Operačný program v rámci cieľa investovanie do rastu a zamestnanosti, Programme Snapshot, 2014SK, version 1.4sk. 15

Annex 3 List of interviewees Type of interviewee Position Organisation Interview mode (face-to-face, Skype/ phone) Date of interview Managing authority YGI coordinator, Head of the Department of Labour Market Policy The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Skype call 2015-11-04 Managing authority General Director, Section of EU Funds The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Phone call 2015-11-09 Managing authority Head of Department of Project Management The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Phone call 2015-11-09 Implementing body Head of the Department of Active Labour Market Measures The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Phone call 2015-11-09 Implementing body Team leader, Department of Active Labour Market Measures The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Phone call 2015-11-09 Implementing body Project Methodologist, Department of Active Labour Market Measures The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Phone call 2015-11-09 16

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