40 participants took part in a COMECE-Don Bosco international debate on Tackling Youth Unemployment in Europe – A Catholic Church’s Perspective. Mgr. Adrianus van Luyn, representatives from EU institutions and the European Youth Forum discussed with Iván Toscano, expert on Vocational Education and Training at Don Bosco (Italy), the effectiveness of the EU instruments to tackle youth unemployment.
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Panellists encouraged the EU to strengthen the involvement of Church actors. MEP Brando Benifei (S&D), co-chair of the Youth Intergroup in the European Parliament, confirmed that the Church plays a vital role in education because of its local long standing local work with young people. Helen Hoffmann from the European Commission announced that besides the Solidarity Corps, the Commission will also launch in 2017 a Quality Framework Apprenticeship to improve school-work transition and ensure proper working conditions among the young.