Brussels, 25/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 25 November, the Youth Council adopted conclusions on improving the social inclusion of young people who are not employed, in education or training (“NEETs”). The conclusions call on member states to more systematically examine the problem of young people through the measures adopted by public authorities in the areas of prevention, education, training and non-formal learning, voluntary work and the transition from study to employment and employment itself. NEET young people are particularly vulnerable and currently number 7.5 million (12.9% of young Europeans aged between 15 and 24, an increase of 600,000 over a three-year period). They have also been the group most affected by the crisis. The strategies that the Council is calling on member states to develop must include the social inclusion of NEETs and be based on trans-sector cooperation with all the different stakeholders concerned. The Council is pleased that measures are already in the process of being implemented in all member states and at an EU level to tackle the consequences of the crisis on young people, particularly with the “youth employment package”, followed by the recommendation on the youth guarantee and youth employment initiative. The youth guarantee is also expected to help young people get a quality job, permanent training, apprenticeship or job placement over the four-month period following their redundancy or when they left formal education. (IL/transl.fl)