The Hungarian Youth Guarantee System and the NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training): Hope or Despair

Absztrakt (kivonat)

This thesis examines the effectiveness of the Youth Guarantee System (YG) and its Operational Programmes in Hungary, as an element of intervention on the strict increase of the unemployment rate, which was present all over Europe after the economic crisis in 2008. As the YG intends to provide options of reintegration to the especially vulnerable youngsters into the labour market, those who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) proved to be a challenge to reach out by the YG. In spite of the fact, that the Hungarian way of adaptation of the YG was slightly different from that recommended by the EU, it is implemented well. This thesis besides providing the theoretical framework of the Hungarian labour market and educational system for the YG, gives empirical context of Ózd and Csepel to it, revealed by the qualitative research on the key actors taking essential part (formally or informally) in the efficiency of the YG, such as vocational schools, family care centres, Public Employment Services (PES) at the cities. Additionally, vast amount of information was added by the experts on public employment, the YG and other active labour market policies in Hungary. It is also noteworthy, that policies in the education system and the case of the Roma people proved to be complicating circumstances on the success of the YG. The main findings on the Youth Guarantee alongside its relative success are that it has many weaknesses, such as the lack of cooperation and integrated way of communication between the relevant actors and the presence of mentors, that there were no precisely specified target groups and the lack of awareness associated with it, which made reaching out for the NEET harder and thus minimising the success of the YG.