Brussels, 09/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Member states must adopt targeted strategies in order to combat youth unemployment, taking into account specific national circumstances and needs. This was the core message of a report by ALDE MEP Nadja Hirsch, adopted on 8 June during European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg by 545 votes to 102 and 9 abstentions. The report underlines the need for urgent measures to address the challenge of youth unemployment, one of the most pressing challenges in Europe today. Not only is the unemployment rate higher among young workers than among their adult counterparts, but young people are also to be found more frequently in insecure temporary jobs with low pay and weaker social security cover. “Member states have to fulfil the commitments that were made during the meeting of European education ministers in 2002 in Copenhagen”, commented Nadja Hirsch. In her view, more coordination is needed among member states, in addition to more flexible learning methods throughout a person's active life, and the possibility of gaining experience abroad, which requires better member state recognition of educational and training results. “It will be by these means that we increase peoples' opportunities on a truly European labour market”, Hirsch says. Her report underlines the idea that education and vocational training must be treated as a long-term political priority and that European workers must have the possibility to adjust to the requirements of the economy. (I.L./transl.jl)