Youth unemployment in Belgium, some comments

Joost BollensHIVA KU Leuven

Early childhood education and care

• Early school leaving & drop out : underachievement, demotivation

• Importance of first years (before compulsory schooling): ∆ non-cognitive (and cognitive) skills cost-effectively

• Good ECEC -> performance at school -> less early school leaving

• Either by targeted programmes for disadvantaged families• And /or by encouraging attending pre school kindergarten

(or lowering age of compulsory schooling)

Part-time education & part-time work

• Potentially strong instrument to prevent early school leaving

• Marginal • Negative choice – attracts pupils from disadvantaged

backgrounds• Lower standing as compared to general education• Often no direct connection between education and work • Moreover : often part-time unemployment (white collar

professions, F: 40%, W: 75% did had a part-time work) • Recently: involvement social partners (in F) by linking

(modular) curriculum and occupational profiling

Unemployment rate (Eurostat 2003-2012)

Youth (< 25) Prime aged (25-54)

Brussels 35.0% 15.8%

Wallonia 29.6% 9.6%

Flanders 13.5% 4.0%

Share of Low Skilled (Eurostat 2003-2011)

Youth (20- 25) Prime aged (25-49)

Brussels 27.5% 29.4%

Wallonia 21.3% 28.3%Flanders 13.9% 22.0%

Unem. rate low skilled (Eurostat 2003-2011)

Youth (20- 25) Prime aged (25-49)

Brussels 52.2% 28.6%

Wallonia 45.7% 18.7%Flanders 19.6% 8.0%