Active labour market policies with a focus on youth

This document is the main outcome of a project that the author conducted for the European Training Foundation (ETF) between September 2013 and February 2014. The task was to analyse the role of active labour market policies (ALMPs) in ETF partner countries. The main focus of the analysis was on determining which programmes work and under what conditions. The specific focus was on young people. The study comprises two main parts. The first part discusses the different types of active programmes and how [it is thought] they work. It examines the available knowledge regarding their effectiveness. Most of this evidence comes from OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. The second part draws together data on the usage of ALMPs in ETF partner countries and existing evaluations. A key finding of the study is that these countries generally use active programmes on a limited scale and that very little evidence has emerged from impact evaluations. At the same time, many countries have started to engage or plan to engage in more systematic use of ALMPs and to assess their effects. This is a process that can be informed and steered by international experience under ETF guidance.

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