One of the most formidable challenges that governments in Europe have to face once this current recession is over is the creation of new jobs especially for young people. Youth unemployment levels in different countries are difficult to compare because so many factors may distort the significance of statistics.

The challenges facing Malta in the creation of jobs for young people are complicated by factors that may not be so prevalent in other countries. The very low achievement levels of a large section of our youth population, the prevalence of a sizeable underground economy that employs workers that for employment statistics purposes simply do not exist, and the significant underemployment of qualified young people all need to be addressed if we are to crack the youth unemployment problem.

Economic growth in the developed world in the next decade is expected to be based more on productivity gains by those lucky enough to be still in employment, rather than by increases in the number of workers in employment. This does not augur well for the unemployed, especially the young who have little or no experience and who are under-qualified for the kind of jobs that the new economy is likely to create.

These challenges should not dishearten us. One expects a bipartisan approach to come up with a portfolio of solutions to the different aspects of the growing youth unemployment problem. There are, of course, many initiatives already in place that show that there is a commitment on the part of the administration to address this challenge. What may be needed is a revamp of schemes and policies that already exist to ensure that they are still effective in producing the desired results.

Many well-qualified young people have found some sort of employment, but feel that they have only landed a job that does not really utilise their potential. They are therefore considered as under-employed. The economy, society and these young people themselves are not reaping the benefits of the investment that has been made in their education.

I often discover cases of young people risking long-term unemployment or under-employment because they cannot manage the risks that they face in the early years of their working life. These risks include the wrong choice of education, the obsolescence of skills and qualifications, fluctuating demand for labour, redundancy at an early age, and changing personal circumstances (like starting a family).

A more personalised vocational guidance service should become an integral part of youth measures aimed at supporting young people in taking the right educational decisions early in their lives, and manage the other risks that often lead to long-term unemployment.

For young people whose employability is already impaired because they previously were unsuccessful in their studies, fresh efforts should be made to motivate them to complete their basic education. Already substantial efforts are being done by educational institutions like Mcast to address this issue, but cases persist where certain young people still do not enrol for such remedial training because of particular personal problems often related to the conditions that influence their families' priorities.

More focused attention must be given to the requirements of young mothers who have an urgent need to find employment to help with the family finances, but cannot afford to do so because they have young dependent children. Affordable child care facilities are one of the possible tools that can be used to overcome this challenge.

The employment policy of the Swedish government on this matter could well serve as a model for us: "Child care, i.e. pre-school and after-school facilities are important means of stimulating employment and should be affordable to parents, readily accessible, and of high quality". Aiming for anything less than these ambitious standards will delay the full integration of women in the workforce.

Social partners play a central role in the labour market. A constructive dialogue between employers, trade unions and public labour and education organisations could help create a sense of urgency to place youth employment on top of the national economic agenda. These parties need to look beyond the short-term interests of the sectors they represent and work for the creation of a "social investment state".

One of the prime objectives of our economic policy needs to be the reduction in the number of people that depend on social assistance. To achieve this we need to start by doing what it takes to get young people in the workforce as early as possible.

jcassarwhite@yahoo.com