2022 - The European Year of Youth

Article published on tvmnews.com

The European Union has designated this year to be the European Year of Youth to actively engage youth in building their future and that of Europe.

During the European Year of Youth, personal, social and professional development of youth will be boosted, as there will be increased efforts in empowering, supporting and engaging European youth at all levels. Special attention will be given to disadvantaged young people and those that have been significantly impacted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The European Year will seek to empower young Europeans in being active citizens through different initiatives. A key initiative will be the Conference on the Future of Europe – an EU-wide initiative intended to gather the opinions and ideas of citizens and organisations on how they would like the future of Europe to be. This series of citizen-led debates and discussions will allow young people to participate in the democratic process and make their voices heard on the current changes that Europe is undergoing. Young people can voice their opinions in local discussions or through a Multilingual Digital Platform developed specifically for the Conference. Locally, Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta is organising events to facilitate the contributions of young people to the Conference on the Future of Europe.

In line with the recovery plan for the EU, NextGenerationEU, the European Year of Youth will expand employment opportunities for young people. Through flagship initiatives such as the Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve (ALMA), young people who are not in employment, in education or in training, are helped to find their way to the job market. Other initiatives shall focus on creating spaces and tools for exchanges on turning challenges into opportunities and ideas into actions in an entrepreneurial spirit.

Having said this, the European Year of Youth will not only focus on the employment prospects of youth and their civic duties. It will also be a year where the wellbeing of young people and experiences through informal learning are prioritised. In fact, the European Year will build on the priorities of the ERASMUS+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps, by encouraging volunteering and strengthening youth work structures. This will be an opportunity for local organisations that are engaged in youth work to benefit from increased support and opportunities.

In addition, to ensure the inclusion of youth priorities in different EU policies, initiatives under the European Year of Youth shall also be supported by other EU programmes and instruments. This is envisioned to range from rural development programmes focused on young farmers to research and innovation programmes.

The official programme that provides a framework for the European Year of Youth is set to be published within the coming weeks. However, the initiative has already been launched on the European Youth Portal. Here one can follow updates on upcoming activities and initiatives in relation to the European Year, as well as other initiatives and opportunities relevant to youth, such as Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps and DiscoverEU.

For further information contact Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta – SEM – to guide you on the initiatives and opportunities related to the European Year of Youth in particular and to the European Union in general, including EU funding opportunities.