1st meeting of the Thematic Group on Rural Youth Employment: the Voice of Rural Youth - Report

The first meeting of the Thematic Group (TG) on Rural Youth Employment: the Voice of Rural Youth enabled TG members to share personal experience and exchange on challenges and opportunities related to rural youth employment – in view of pursuing the TG’s overall objective to explore various approaches to developing sustainable and high-quality rural jobs accessible to young people, and thereby inform relevant policies.

TG members then shared personal experiences and views on rural employment. A panel comrising various TG members highlighted opportunities and challenges for young job seekers in rural Europe, as well as insights from those working on rural youth employment matters. Further plenary discussions allowed TG members and institutions to highlight key aspects that foster rural youth employment as well as successful initiatives from different Member States.

Parallel group discussions focused on rural job opportunities in three different settings: 1) agri-food private sector mainly covering farm-related jobs, 2) non agri-food private sector linked to e.g. tourism, rural services or any other job outside of farming and 3) public and third sector including social enterprises and civic initiatives in rural areas. Group discussions benefitted from TG members’ experiences and focused on identifying success ingredients and ‘must-haves’ for helping young people to get and maintain quality rural jobs.

Closing remarks from DG AGRI echoed the TG members’ findings (particularly about young farmers, rural services, and equality) referring to the TG’s inspirational contributions that would be shared with other Commission’s services supporting rural employment for young people.