YOUTH AND EUROPE

FORMS OF PARTICIPATION IN

EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION
 Young people are increasingly showing an active role in building the European
Union. Since then, it has been invested so that the youngest can make themselves
heard. In this way, the bet of your participation in this field has been increasingly
developed, because we can make a difference!
✓ The implementation of volunteer programs at an international level, with a
view to combating inequalities and problems, confronting young people
with various realities that need to be adapted and encouraging them to act
and has obtained positive results since the number of students in these
programs has been increasing. There are 92 to 94 million adult European
volunteers (23% of all Europeans over the age of 15). We know that
volunteering is heavily influenced by the history, politics and culture of a
community or country, but we can contribute to changing habits and
promoting volunteering in Europe. Sport and outdoor activities are the
main sectors of volunteering in Europe, followed by education, the arts,
music and cultural associations.
✓ Creation of partnerships with universities outside the country of origin,
Erasmus, as well as exchanges. However, this participation requires some
available budget, for this purpose scholarships were created that allow
students to study outside their countries, making their horizons much
wider through new cultures and new realities.
✓ Creation of a youth parliament where various subjects such as peace and
war, exclusion or success and the failure of some European programs are
addressed, has instigated the participation of young people in Europe's
political, economic and social affairs.
✓ Fostering guarantees against unemployment, all young people under the
age of 25 will be able to receive a concrete and quality proposal within
four months after they leave the education system or become
unemployed. European countries are now looking to make sure that we
can benefit from this initiative. These reforms may imply strengthening
employment services, better partnerships to reach young people and
changes in education systems. The Commission, after its assessment of
national implementation plans, invited eight countries to act with more
determination. (Romania, Italy, Lithuania, Ireland, United Kingdom…).
 ✓ Promotion European Youth Forum composed of national youth councils
and international non-governmental youth organizations. Together, the
members of the FEJ represent the interests of millions of young
Europeans. This initiative aims to enable and encourage young people to
participate actively in the construction of society and, in particular, in the
deepening of European integration, to promote the rights and
opportunities of young people, to improve their living conditions, to be the
spokesperson for young people in Europe, while full citizens, support them
and encourage them to develop their full potential as citizens of Europe
and the world.

Spreading your voice in Europe allows you to contribute to the EU policy-making

process by participating in consultations and debates or through other means. The
Commission wants to hear your ideas, hear your criticisms and build on your
experience.

✓ Creation of the Citizens' Agora which aims to be a link between citizens

and the European Parliament, allowing participation in debates on
Parliament's legislative program and the presentation of concrete
measures based on everyday experience.
✓ Promotion of the UNESCO Youth Forum allows young representatives
from around the world to exchange views, share experiences, reflect
together on common problems and concerns.
✓ Encouraging UNICEF Youth Voices gives young people the opportunity
to deepen their knowledge of the problems affecting the planet online. This
platform allows young people from all over the world to express their
opinions, discuss global problems and take initiatives.
✓ Stimulating Global Voices, an international and multilingual online network
of blogs, photos and podcasts from more than 130 countries that aims to
help people from all over the world to obtain and publish information about
 their communities. We can become members by proposing ideas or
writing an article.

YOUTH AND EUROPE:

PROGRAMS (EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, VOLUNTEERING ...)

Based on the idea that Europe's future depends on strengthening cooperation among
young Europeans, as well as increasing investment in education and preparing
younger citizens for entry into the labor market, the European Union has been betting
strengthening the number of youth policies, programs and initiatives.

In the context of the European Year of Citizens 2013/2014, this section brings together
content and links associated not only with EU policies and measures aimed at
supporting youth, but also with sites and themes that may interest you as a young
European citizen .
 VOLUNTEERING

Volunteering is fundamental to the strength, resistance, solidarity and social cohesion

of the community, it is a powerful demonstration of how solidarity put into practice can
build a better world for everyone and where everyone can contribute their time,
knowledge and energy to peace, well-being and development.

2011 was the year of the “European Year of Volunteering”, contributed to the
dissemination of the theme among all civil society and official bodies, creating
structures, editing documents, promoting debates and activities, mobilizing and
raising awareness of a fundamental cause and for building a more supportive society.
In this section, I gathered information about a group of entities that offer volunteering
possibilities. Follow your solidarity drive and dedicate part of your time to the benefit
of the community.

Lisbon 2015: Lisbon chosen as European Volunteer Capital in 2015

EU Aid Volunteers Initiative: represents the European Union's 2014-2020 initiative

that will allow more than 18,000 citizens the opportunity to volunteer for various
humanitarian operations carried out around the world, over a period of time limited.

Serralves Foundation: The Serralves Foundation is a European-wide cultural

institution serving the national community, whose mission is to raise public awareness
and interest in contemporary art and the environment.

Hug: Abraço is a Private Institution of Social Solidarity. Non-governmental non-profit

organization providing services in the area of AIDS.

Believing: Believing is: “Treating children with cancer and not just cancer in children”.
Give your contribution to improving the lives of children who suffer from this disease.

AFS International: AFS is a Non-Governmental Organization that provides

opportunities for intercultural learning.

AHEAD: AHEAD, the Humanitarian Association for Education and Development

Support, was born in 2007 and is an NGO that develops projects in Portugal,
Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe with a focus on education.

Doctors of the World: Doctors of the World is a humanitarian aid and development
cooperation NGO, with no party or religious affiliation, whose main objective is the
global provision of health care.

Among others: Portuguese Council for Refugees; Ronald McDonald Children's

Foundation; Portuguese Red Cross; Greenpeace; Portuguese League of Animal
Rights; UN - United Nations Organization; Knots and Ties; European Voluntary
Service.
 JOB

This year, the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE) promotes another
edition of the National Business Ideas Contest. The initiative is developed by the
Academy of Entrepreneurs, in collaboration with IEFP - Institute of Employment and
Professional Training, and aims to materialize business plans, by making available
the financial, human, technical, training and consultancy resources necessary for the
exercise of business activity.

The objective of the Contest is to boost the entrepreneurial spirit and reward young
people who have a business idea that they want to see implemented in a business
plan.

The EURES NETWORK offers an easy way to find information regarding employment
and training opportunities in Europe.

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) selects staff for all EU institutions
and is the starting point for anyone who wants to work for the EU
 TRAINING

Seven European institutions also organize internships lasting between three and five
months. Interns can be students, graduates or linguists and perform tasks similar to
those of administrators at the beginning of their careers. The selection of interns is
organized by the institutions themselves.

If you want your company to work with the institutions of the European Union, find
out about the public tenders taking place in the institutions and bodies of the European
Union, particularly those located in Portugal. Find out how to apply and find out about
the EU institutions' websites dedicated exclusively to public tenders and low value
tenders (below EUR 60,000). Take advantage of the opportunities that EU institutions
offer and give your company a European scale. Be an entrepreneur, innovate, make
partnerships and take the opportunity to expand your business.

Two highlights:
In July 2012, CIEJD launched the Business Opportunities in the EU project, three
years later, we consider it important to know the opinion of our subscribers, in order
to improve the service we provide.

ON Project - Business Opportunities of the European Union, from CIEJD, receives

Honorable Mention in the category "Support for the Internationalization of
Companies", on the 15th of July.

LOOKING FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CAREER

Reserve List of Senior Managers - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
invites applications for the creation of reserve lists for Management posts, aimed at
candidates with bachelor's or postgraduate degrees in various areas and with
professional experience in at least five years.

Financial Officers / Consultants (CAST - GFIII and GFIV) - Invitation to submit

applications for the creation of a reserve list of Financial Officers / Consultants for
agents hired at EU Executive Agencies. They must have a good knowledge of an EU
language and knowledge of English or French, or German.

Financial officers (GFIII): Applicants must have post-secondary or secondary

education with 3 years of relevant experience.

Financial advisers (GFIV): Candidates must have a degree.

 EDUCATION

In education, there are interactive activities for the youngest, such as educational
worksheets, games and hobbies, tales and legends, activities, recipes from EU
countries, chronology, useful links on the Internet, more specifically on the Eurocid
website, to better understand the concept of the EU. .

For the teacher, there are presentations, educational sheets, activities, blogs and
useful links, programs and applications, international projects, training for teachers.
Not to mention pedagogical content such as the Infoeuropa Library.

Education and training systems are the responsibility of EU countries, but the EU
intervenes to help them establish common goals and share good practices.

The new Erasmus+ program was designed to fight youth unemployment, improving
the skills and employability of the youngest.

Opportunities for young people: The European Youth Strategy promotes equal
opportunities for young people in terms of education and employment and encourages
them to participate actively in society.

Erasmus + program: education, training, youth and sport

• Total budget - 14.7 billion euros

• The program will help more than four million people (mainly young people) to study,
gain work experience or volunteer abroad
• It will also help more than 125,000 organizations to cooperate with similar
organizations abroad to innovate and modernize teaching and working practices with
youth

Europass: a standardized curriculum

Europass is a set of documents that serve to present qualifications and skills in a

standardized format at European level, allowing employers to understand
qualifications obtained in other countries and helping workers to apply for jobs abroad.

• Curriculum (Curriculum vitae - CV)

• Language passport: self-assessment tool for language skills and knowledge

• Europass-Mobility: registration of study periods abroad

• Europass-Certificate Supplement: skills proven by professional training certificates

• Europass-Diploma Supplement: registration of the course of higher education

students

• European skills passport: overview of skills and qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS: COMPARABILITY AND RECOGNITION

The European qualifications framework makes it easier to compare different national

qualifications, referring to a common frame of reference that includes the various
diplomas and levels of study. The aim is to help Europeans who want to study or work
in another EU country.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Under the Copenhagen Process, European countries (in particular EU countries) and
trade union and employer organizations cooperate to improve vocational training and
education. This cooperation resulted in the European credit system and the quality
assurance network that help people to go to work and study abroad.
 UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

The Bologna Process and the launch of the European Higher Education Area aim to
facilitate the transition from one education system to another in Europe by promoting
the mutual recognition of periods of study, comparable qualifications and uniform
quality standards.

INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

The EIT's main mission is to bring together the best higher education institutions,
research centers and companies in Europe to address major societal problems.

Research: Marie Skłodowska-Curie program

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie program supports the training and professional

development of researchers from all scientific disciplines, helping them to study and
work in different countries and sectors.