Comparative Analysis of Young People’s Position and Needs in the Labour Market

Blackwater Training is pleased to share the Comparative Analysis of the Position and Needs of Young People in the Labour Market, developed as part of the NextGen Opportunity: Bridging the Gap for European Youth project.

The report brings together the results of research carried out across Ireland, Serbia, Romania, Italy, Denmark and Czechia, examining the position of young people in the labour market and identifying the areas where further support is needed.

In total, the analysis draws on the experiences of 1,291 young people across the six participating countries. 

Some of the key findings

The research highlights significant differences between countries, but also a number of common challenges around employment, access to opportunities, entrepreneurship and career support.

• 93.2% of respondents in Serbia were unaware of public youth employment or self-employment programmes. Across all six countries, the majority of respondents reported that they were unaware of these supports.
• 76% of respondents in Italy identified low salaries as a barrier to employment, while 55.6% in Romania reported the same. A lack of available jobs was particularly significant in Denmark (56.7%) and Italy (52.9%).
• Access to career guidance was also limited. Only 10.9% of respondents in Czechia, 13.2% in Romania and 17.9% in Denmark reported receiving career guidance during the previous two years. 

• Access to career guidance was also limited. Only 10.9% of respondents in Czechia, 13.2% in Romania and 17.9% in Denmark reported receiving career guidance during the previous two years.

• In relation to entrepreneurship, the research found that interest in self-employment does not always translate into readiness to start a business. 

• In Ireland, 84.1% of respondents reported no previous self-employment or business start. Across the six countries, access to finance, financial risk, business knowledge and a lack of guidance or mentoring were among the main barriers identified. 

• The connection between education and employment was another important finding. 64.2% of respondents in Italy and 62.4% in Romania felt that their education had prepared them poorly or not at all for the labour market.

What does this mean for NextGen?

The purpose of the research is to inform the next stage of the project and, in particular, the development of the NextGen Employment and Entrepreneurship Clinics.

While the findings identify common needs across the six countries, they also demonstrate the importance of adapting support to national and local circumstances.

For Ireland, the analysis highlights geographic access, uneven work quality and the need for inclusive and accessible support. Other countries show different priorities, from low pay and insecure employment in Italy to limited career guidance in Romania and Czechia and very low awareness of existing programmes in Serbia.

Based on the findings, the NextGen Clinics will bring together areas including employability assessment, career guidance, job-search support, entrepreneurship, mentoring, wellbeing and referral to relevant services. Practical experience, employer engagement and support to navigate existing programmes will also form an important part of the approach.

The comparative analysis gives the partnership a strong evidence base for the next stage of the project and ensures that the activities developed through NextGen respond directly to the experiences and needs identified by young people.

The Comparative Analysis of the Position and Needs of Young People in the Labour Market is now available to read and download.

If you would like to get involved in the next stages of the project, contact 

debbie@blackwatertraining.ie or eva@blackwatertraining.ie for more information. 

NextGen Opportunity  is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them