Youth Work Discussed at Turin Summit

Education and Training in the Euro-Mediterranean Region was the topic of the Euromed Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions held on December 17 and 18, 2018 in Turin.

The Summit aims at promoting greater understanding of the main issues affecting the civil society in the Euromed region and at discussing the common challenges they face. This year, members of the EESC decided to exchange experiences in education and vocational training (EVT) based on a draft report, so that the comments and recommendations of the Summit participants can be included in the final version.

After a presentation of the draft report on education and vocational training in the Mediterranean, a representative of the Institute for Youth Development KULT held a workshop on the topic “Changing Perception of Vocational Training: Working with Young People”. The workshop was intended to offer ways to change and/or improve the perception of vocational training, and share positive experiences. Work in smaller groups yielded specific recommendations that will be included in the final report. 

The second day of the Summit included a presentation of the report on Social Economy and Entrepreneurship in the Euro-Mediterranean region by members of economic and social councils from Spain, Greece, Morocco and Jordan. The sessions that followed included presentations on the progress of preparations for the 2019 Ministerial Meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean on Labor and Employment and developing regional cooperation through presenting networks in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The Summit will end with a finalization of recommendations that will be sent to the governments of countries included in the Ministerial Summit and disseminated among CSOs in the region.

The Euromed Summit is a unique regional event bringing together around 120 participants from economic and social councils, or similar institutions, representatives of employers, trade unions, other economic and social interest groups and NGOs, regional networks and other CSO representatives. 

This year’s summit is organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Training Foundation. The summit was co-funded by the European Commission.