Young people have been badly hit by the economic crisis, particularly when making the transition from school to work. In 2011, 12.9% of EU citizens aged 15-24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET). According to Eurofound, this has severe economic costs for the EU (over €150 billion in 2011), as well as causing long-term harm to NEETs by making them more likely to face social and political isolation. Given the gravity of this situation, the EU is committed to bringing down the youth unemployment rate and speeding up transitions between school and the labour market.

The EU’s desire to tackle this issue is reflected in its policy framework. Two of the Europe 2020 targets relate generally to boosting youth employment. In particular, the Youth on the Move flagship initiative calls for an early school leaving rate of less than 10%.

In December 2012, Europe released a Youth Employment Package of various measures to advance towards these objectives, such as an alliance for apprenticeships and planned reforms to the EURES Network to promote youth mobility. Furthermore, in the Annual Growth Survey for 2013, the Commission emphasised the importance of ‘youth guarantee’ schemes as an active labour market policy to be pursued by Member States.

Austria is a highly industrialised country with a strong and expanding service sector (particularly in tourism and the public service). In comparison with the rest of Europe, it had low unemployment rates in 2012-2013, both for the entire adult population and those aged under 25. In August 2013, 8.6% of Austrians aged 24 or younger were out of work, compared to the EU average of 23.4%. Austria also had a low rate of young NEETs around this time (6.5% in 2012, against the EU-27 average of 13.2%). The highly established vocational education and training (VET) system was an important reason for its success in this area.

Austria invested significant resources in young people and their integration into the labour market. In 2012, they received the most public funding of any group. There was a comprehensive network of support for young people, developed by two key government programmes in particular: the Training Guarantee, in place since 2008; and the Future for Youth Action programme, effective from 2009. The strength of the vocational system in Austria is reflected in the fact that 80% of over 15-year-olds entered into a VET scheme in 2011.

In Austria, the last year of compulsory education (at age 14) signals an important juncture in a young adult’s life. At this stage, he/she must choose whether to continue in an academic school or enter into vocational training. For the latter, students can opt for either a VET schools/colleges or for the dual training system.

Although in 2012 Austria had a lower ESL rate than the EU average (8.3%), ESL is more prevalent among socially disadvantaged groups disproportionately, such as those from migrant communities, those who were disabled, those with learning difficulties and those whose parents had low qualifications. This was a first step towards falling out of education, training and the labour market, which, as demonstrated, came with economic, social and political costs. The Austrian government committed to having no NEETs, and undertook a range of schemes to support the most ‘at risk’ groups. Youth Coaching was one example.

Other programmes coordinated by the Austrian government to bring down the ESL / NEET rate amongst vulnerable young people included ‘production schools’ (to introduce disadvantaged students to the world of work) and the ‘Fit for Training’ scheme (to encourage personal skills development).

By providing customised support and guidance to vulnerable young people, Youth Coaching aimed to bring down the early school leaving rate and to make the school-to-work transition easier.

In particular, it was intended to serve as:

• A form of support for young adults to enter into the form of study or training most suited to their skills and interests.
• A “preventive measure” to stop those at risk from falling into the ‘NEET’ category.

Youth Coaching had three main target groups: those in their final year of education who were in danger of dropping out of the education system or socially disadvantaged; NEETs who were 19 or younger; and people with learning difficulties who were 25 or younger.

Youth Coaching was introduced in January 2012 in two Austrian provinces (Vienna and Styria) and extended to the rest of the country in 2013. It was inspired by Austria’s previous ‘Clearing Programme’, which focused on developing strong networks between schools and employers, as well as creating individual development plans for disabled and disadvantaged students. The Coaching formed part of the wider Austrian Training and Education Strategy.

• Youth Coaching was the provision of free, personalised guidance to young people at crucial moments of transition. Personal assistants (youth coaches) offered support and advice about their education and employment, as well as any personal issues that they may have been facing.
• In general, young adults were eligible to up to three months of counselling. However, up to one year of assistance is available in ‘case management settings’, which target the most disadvantaged students and their families.
• The coaches were responsible for communicating with programme partners (employment services, the federal social office, etc.), helping the young person to gain an appropriate qualification/position, and boosting their wellbeing.

• The 2012 pilot scheme appears to have been fairly successful, leading the government to extend it to the rest of the country in 2013. The majority of participants completed the full programme of coaching, with agreed goals for the future and reported improvements to their wellbeing.
• Over 12,500 young people were involved in the programme in Vienna and Styria. Of these, 85% completed the scheme.
• Over two-thirds of those who participated reported improvements in important areas, such as in their level of self-confidence and clarity over their career paths.
• The 2013 programme is projected to support around 35,000 young people.
• Young people from migrant backgrounds benefited disproportionately from the scheme. This fits in with the broader objective of the programme to help those most at risk of becoming NEETs.