‘Hard to reach’ youth to benefit from €600,000 spend

Some €600,000 has been earmarked to combat unemployment among the most disadvantaged young people.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs James Reilly announced details of a new Youth Employability Initiative which he said would provide grant funding to voluntary youth organisations and services to target the most "hard to reach" young people, some distance from the labour market and formal education. As a result they may be "at high risk of marginalisation and unemployment".

“My Department has secured €600,000 from the dormant accounts fund to roll out this initiative,” said Mr Reilly.

He was speaking at an event in Dublin on Thursday to publish the first National Youth Strategy.

The five-year strategy , which is aimed at in general at teenagers and people in their early 20s, rather than at children, is the first of its kind in Ireland. There are more than 800,000 people in the age-group 10 to 24 years – accounting for 18 per cent of the population.

It highlights youth as a distinctive developmental phase in life, with distinct needs and support requirements.

Though this strategy is for all in this age cohort, it is particularly focussed, said the Minister “on young people who are experiencing or who are at risk of experiencing the poorest outcomes and therefore in most need of support”.

It addresses key areas for young people such as health and mental wellbeing, education and learning, safety and protection from harm, employment and social inclusion and the role and contribution of young people to their community and the wider world.

Informal learning

Among its 50 actions, the NYS will develop “a national system for the recognition of non-formal and informal learning”, in line with EU recommendations “on the validation” of informal learning.

Other priorities will be:

- Training parents in online safety for their children, as well educating young people about staying safe online;

- Promoting youth entrepreneurship initiatives in schools;

The National Youth Council of Ireland welcomed the strategy, saying it had long advocated the collaboration between Government, state agencies and NGOs identified as necessary in this strategy.

“It is important to note that this is a ‘Government’ strategy and, as such, is not as far reaching or ambitious as we would like. However, there are many commitments in this document which would enhance and improve the lives of young people if embraced and implemented,” said NYCI’s director Mary Cunningham

"We welcome the fact that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs engaged in extensive consultation with young people and with the youth sector, and took on board our concerns and feedback. The document is better for that process.

“We acknowledge that all sectors have a role to play and NYCI will be working with our member organisations to ensure that the actions detailed in this document come to fruition.