NEETs in central Styria: opportunities for young people and new approaches

NEETs in central Styria: opportunities for young people and new approaches

The fourth NEETs conference for the Central Styrian region took place on Thursday. This specialist event, which had the motto “From Numbers to Action”, dealt intensively with the challenges and opportunities for young people who are not in any education, employment or training, i.e. the so-called NEETs. More than 150 experts from the fields of youth work, business and education came together to analyze the current situation.

The event was opened by Sonja Schmöckel from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economic Affairs and Michael Huber from Statistics Austria. The focus of the opening lecture was the situation of NEETs in Styria. This group includes young people between the ages of 15 and 24 who are neither working nor training. There was reassuring news: the number of NEETs in Styria fell from 15,500 in 2009 to 12,100 in 2021, indicating positive developments. A central aspect is the regional differences, which were examined in more detail.

Challenges in the dynamic region

In the lecture it was emphasized that over half of the NEETs, specifically 51.2 percent, live in central Styria. This region includes the city of Graz as well as the districts of Graz-Umwelt and Voitsberg. Despite a positive overall trend, this high number is worrying and raises questions about access to employment and education. The Styrian central area is considered a young and dynamic region with the highest population growth in Styria. Styria's rich educational offerings and the highest level of education underline the central role of this region in combating the NEET challenges analyzed here.

In order to be able to develop concrete measures, practical recommendations for action were drawn up to increase support for NEETs. These approaches aim to improve employment opportunities for affected young people.

Joint efforts are required

In addition to the specialist lectures, the conference also offered panel discussions and workshops that emphasized the importance of close cooperation between schools, business and social services. In this context, the importance of specifically reaching at-risk young people who find themselves in difficult life situations has been emphasized several times. Kerstin Weber, Managing Director of Regionalmanagement Steirischer Zentralraum GmbH, emphasized: “Promoting social participation and lifelong learning is one of the central focus areas in our region.”

The conference therefore represented an important step in providing impetus for a socially balanced and sustainable society. It remains to be seen how the newly initiated measures will be implemented in concrete terms and what progress can be made in combating the NEET problem in the coming years. More details on the results of the conference can be found in a detailed report on www.meinkreis.at to read.