Europe and Unemployment: FRANCE

Unemployment Situation in France

In France about 2,6 millions of people are unemployed out of 28 millions of people able to work: it means a percentage of 9,2 %.

Regarding the young people between 16 and 25 years old, the 22 % are unemployed: 21% of them are young men and 24% are young women)

The main problems are:

-          Lack of professional experience

-          Lack of school degree

-          Lack of foreign languages skills (especially English)

-          Racism and discrimination

-          Lack of professional networking

-          Lack of self confidence during an interview

-          Lack of competences on how to write a good cv and covering letter

The main solutions are:

1-   The creation of insertion and support structures for young people in the beginning of the years 2000 (national and regional level)

- Pôle Emploi (National Center of unemployment open to everybody)

- Mission Locale (Regional center of unemployed ONLY for Youngsters between 16-25 years old)

- Youth structures supporting and helping graduates students

- Youth structures helping disabled people;

2-   Job contracts offered to youngsters registered in a youth structure

-       2.a Internships: 15 days with no salary and learning by doing, acquiring professional skills and competences useful to find a job after.

-           2.b Apprenticeships: alternation between one week at school and one week in companies; school degree at the end of the period, no taxes for the employers and the applicants; good hope for the young to be fully employed in the company at the end of his apprenticeship

-             2.c Insertion contract : the Government gives money to NGOs and Companies to encourage them to  hire for one year maximum youngsters without experience; salary between 600 and 900€

 3-   A regional solution in Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur: VISTA = for a better professional insertion of youngsters with fewer opportunities

-          VISTA is a 2 year partnership (2011-13) between EUROCIRCLE (European NGO) and Youth centers in PACA financed by the European social funds

-          Target people: Youngsters with fewer opportunities between 18 -25 years old, unemployed and with poor school background

-          Objective: to give to 110 youngsters the opportunity to have an experience in volunteering in Europe thanks to the YIA programme (intercultural exchanges, EVS and Leonardo internships)

-          Methods: Non formal education, learning by doing, voluntarism

-          Follow up: each youngster sent will be following up after his mobility in Europe by Eurocircle and the youth centre to help him find a school formation that suits him or a job

-          Expected results: better socio-professional insertion / less young unemployment in PACA / better recognition of voluntarism and non formal education in the professional world.