First Results of the Implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative

Transcription

1 First Results of the Implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative POLAND March 2016 Social Europe

2 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Unit F1: ESF and FEAD Policy and Legislation Contact: Resa Koleva-Demonty European Commission B-1049 Brussels

3 EUROPEAN COMMISSION First results of the implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative POLAND Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

4 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). LEGAL NOTICE This study has been prepared under the specific contract No. VC/2015/0662 in the context of the Framework Contract No. VC/2013/0084 Analysis of the first results of the implementation of the Operational Programmes Supported by the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and related YEI and ESF youth employment actions in the Member States in 2015 and 2016". The information and views set out in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission's behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet ( Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016 ISBN doi: /57378 European Union, 2016 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

5 Contents 1. Overview of programming of the YEI and related ESF youth employment actions Addressing the NEETs needs in Programming arrangements for the YEI interventions Programming arrangements for the ESF interventions Implementation progress up to November Implementation of the YEI interventions Implementation of the ESF interventions Conclusions Updated evidence from the national evaluations Bibliography Annex 1 The youth employment situation Annex 2 Expected outputs and results of the YEI and other ESF youth employment actions Annex 3 List of interviewees Disclaimer: This report covers YEI actions programmed in the specified OP and ESF actions programmed under Investment Priority (IP) 8.ii Sustainable integration into the labour market of young people, in particular those not in employment, education or training, including young people at risk of social exclusion and young people from marginalised communities, including through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in the same OP. Only ESF actions under IP 8.ii, which are programmed in the same Operational Programme as the YEI are taken into account. This report is based on a desk review of documentary evidence including the national evaluation report, a survey of Managing Authorities and in-depth stakeholder interviews. Data collection for this report took place in October and November 2015, at which point up-to-date data was collected. As a consequence, the reference period for implementation progress is respectively 1 September 2013 to November 2015 for the YEI and 1 January 2014 to November 2015 for other relevant ESF actions. In March 2016, national evaluations submitted to the Commission by the end of 2015 were also reviewed. Data included in these evaluations may cover different reference periods.

6 1. Overview of programming of the YEI and related ESF youth employment actions The YEI is programmed as part of the single multi-annual Operational Programme Knowledge, Education, Development (Wiedza, Edukacja Rozwój) (PO WER) for , which was approved on 17th December The YEI has a dedicated priority axis within this OP, which is named Young people on the labour market. The Managing Authority is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development.Due to the overall problem of youth unemployment in Poland, which is not limited to the 10 Polish regions (out of 16) eligible for YEI funding (actually the differences in youth unemployment rates between YEI and other regions are small), this priority axis provides direct support to youth in eligible regions through YEI and all other Polish regions with ESF funding. The axis aims to support young people aged who are unemployed, inactive and looking for a job with the terms described in the Polish Youth Guarantee Plan that an offer of employment, training or apprenticeships should be made within the 4-month period. YEI and ESF actions have the same specific objective, which is to increase the employment of unemployed youth up to 29 years old, in particular those not in employment, education or training (NEETs). With regard to the key challenges in the area of youth employment, PO WER mentions the following specific objectives: to increase the long-term employment possibilities of youth in a particularly difficult situation in the labour market, to increase the long-term employment possibilities of NEETs (unemployed, not in education nor training), to increase the long-term employment of young people with disabilities, to increase the vocational skills of young people and their experience level, and to increase the level of youth entrepreneurship. For the first years of PO WER implementation, there is a special focus on NEETs as a target group. The specific objectives of the Young people on the labour market priority axis respond to the Council s recommendations concerning the national reform programme 2014, which stress the need to reduce the unemployment of young people. Table 1 - Programming arrangements for youth employment interventions in Title of the operational programme (OP) supported by the YEI Operational Programme Knowledge, Education and Development (PO WER) Specific objective(s) of the YEI Increasing the employment rate of unemployed youth up to 29 years old, in particular those not in education, employment or training (NEETs) Specific objective(s) of other ESF youth employment actions beyond YEI Increasing the employment of unemployed youth up to 29 years old, in particular those not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) Overview of funding The implementation of the YEI in Poland will be supported with total funding of 549,432,495, including 252,437,822 from the specific YEI allocation, 252,437,822 from ESF and 44,547,851 from national co-financing. The pre-financing from the YEI specific allocation amounted to 83,304, In 1

7 addition to the YEI funding, Poland will spend over 1.27 billion ESF funds for other related youth employment actions in Table 2 - Funding for the YEI and other ESF youth employment actions (EUR) 1 YEI Other ESF actions under Investment Priority 8.ii Total sum: 549,423,495 Total sum: 1,503,894,958 Specific allocation for YEI (EU) Corresponding national ESF allocation Co-financing from the national budget ESF part Co-financing from the national budget Sum: 252,437,822 Sum: 252,437,822 Sum: 44,547,851 Sum: 1,269,223,941 Sum: 234,671,017 Pre-financing for YEI in (EU) Sum: 83,304, Source: Annual report on the implementation of YEI in 2014, Polish Operational Programme Knowledge, Education, Development (PO WER), interview with MA. 2. Addressing the NEETs needs in Programming arrangements for the YEI interventions Target groups By the end of 2018, the YEI in Poland is expected to support about 199,000 young people under 30 years old, including at least 177,000 unemployed (including long-term unemployed). This is equivalent to approximately 20% of the NEET population aged in Poland. The definition of NEETs in Poland was extended to cover young people aged who are unemployed and inactive. The main reason is that the share of NEETs in the age group is very small in Poland (0.5% in 2015 according to Eurostat data) 3 due to the relatively good system of enforcing the compulsory education obligation (set up to 18 years old) and so the problem of youth unemployment mainly concerns those in the age group. The PO WER Operational Programme stresses that there is a special focus on NEETs and in particular on those that are not registered in the PES. At the beginning of PO WER implementation the actions are to only focus on NEETs as the target group. The NEETs definition in PO WER is based on the following criteria: i) the person is unemployed (either registered as unemployed with the PES or not) or inactive, ii) does not participate in any form of full time formal education (not including the studies in the evening or weekend modes) and iii) is not in training (it is verified whether the person participated in any publicly funded training courses within last 4 weeks). 1 For more information about the YEI funding types see Guidance note for national experts. 2 Information from the MA. According to the YEI Map for Poland, the level of pre-financing from the YEI specific allocation (without increase) accounted for 2,524,378 EUR and, after an increase in 2015, 75,731,347 EUR. 3 It should be noted however, that Eurostat states that this data has low reliability. 2

8 Type of activities planned The support provided within the YEI and ESF actions includes labour market services and instruments which are to include at least three elements of individual and complex assistance (two of them are indicated as obligatory, the third and subsequent ones are facultative and are chosen according to the needs and possibilities of the supported people): Labour market instruments and services aimed at providing individual support and help regarding the individual market orientation (obligatory): o o Identification of unemployed youth needs and diagnosis of their capabilities with regard to further learning, including identification of the level of their distance from the labour market, Complex and individual employment counselling concerning the occupation choice according to the qualifications and competences of the supported person or employment agency concerning the development of a professional career, including the upgrading or completing of general and vocational qualifications, Labour market instruments and services aimed at early school leavers or persons by whom the need for completing or acquiring new qualifications and competences was identified: o Continuation of education for youth who need to complete formal education or confirm qualifications i.e. through relevant exams, Labour market instruments and services aimed at the acquisition of professional experience required by the employers: o o Acquisition or completion of professional experience or practical skills with regard to the performed occupation through i.e. internships and apprenticeships that conform to the standards indicated in the European Quality Framework on Traineeships, Support for the employment of a young person by an employer as the incentive for employment, i.e. through covering the costs of subsidised employment of eligible young people, refund of additional equipment costs (only together with subsidised employment), Labour market instruments and services supporting the cross-sector and geographical mobility (including labour mobility on the European labour market within EURES): o o Support of cross-sector mobility for those that have problems with finding employment in the sector through i.e. changing or completing qualifications or competences that allow for finding employment in other sectors through i.e. internships, apprenticeships and trainings, which conform with the recognised standards for these services (e.g. European and Polish Quality Framework for Traineeships), Support the geographical mobility of young people, by whom the problem of finding employment at their place of living was identified, through i.e. covering the costs of commuting to work or the initial development of the new 3

9 place of residence, i.e. through financing the commuting costs, providing funds for settlement, Labour market instruments and services aimed at disabled people: o Eliminating the barriers that young disabled people face with regards to finding and retaining of employment, through i.e. financing the costs of the assistant of the disabled person, retrofitting the work place for the needs of disabled person, Labour market instruments and services that support entrepreneurship and selfemployment: o Support to young people in setting up and running a business through grants, business counselling and trainings providing the necessary knowledge and skills to setting up and running a business, also transitional support. The YEI and ESF support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee by supporting the majority of aspects of the Youth Guarantee offers of employment, apprenticeships, traineeships and continued education and training. There is one element of the Polish YGIP that is not supported by YEI nor ESF at the moment and which is fully funded with the national resources, which are the favourable loans for young people and unemployed to set up a new business (up to 80,000 PLN). These loans are operated by the State Development Bank of Poland (Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, BGK) and funded from the Labour Fund (contributions paid by employers). However, during the process of YEI programming the Managing Authority considered to include the loans within the types of support provided in PO WER priority axis Young people on the labour market and they still could be included during the programming period. Box 1 Examples of actions supported by the YEI For the time being the biggest ongoing initiatives within the YEI-funded priority axis Young people on the labour market are the two projects for NEETs run by the Voluntary Labour Corps (Ochotnicze Hufce Pracy) Idea for yourself (Pomysł na siebie) and Equal labour market (Równi na rynku pracy): The project Idea for yourself aims at improving the situation of NEETs aged by bringing them back into education or training and helping them in the acquisition of professional qualifications. It targets 1,320 young people. The project Equal labour market aims at young people aged that are in particularly difficult situations due to family and social situations (families with long-term unemployment, socially disadvantaged, dysfunctional), are not in employment, education or training (NEETs), lack formal and professional qualifications and professional experience or possess qualifications that are not required by the labour market. It targets 6,180 young people. Both projects are run in all Polish regions (YEI and ESF funding) from until The budget allocation for these two projects accounts for about 69.5 million PLN. The support provided to the final beneficiaries is individual and complex and includes i.e. job counselling, pedagogical and psychological assistance, legal assistance, interpersonal training, professional training and 6-month internships. Moreover, in 2015, the implementation of projects by the PES also started. These projects, with a budget allocation of 439 million EUR, target the young unemployed registered in the labour offices. 4

10 Both YEI and ESF actions in PO WER are implemented by two main types of implementing bodies Public Employment Offices that focus on providing support for registered unemployed (aged 18 and above) and Voluntary Labour Corps (VLC) that focus on providing support for other youth in particular NEETs aged and youth in particularly difficult situations in the labour market (from villages and small cities, at risk of poverty, long-term unemployed, early school leavers, etc.). The allocation is divided between PES (75%), VLC (5%) and competitive calls for projects open to different beneficiaries at national and regional levels (20%). The latter projects are designed to focus on the NEETs in particularly difficult situations in the labour market (e.g. those from orphanages, former prisoners, etc.). Expected outputs and results The defined output indicators for YEI include: 177,025,000 unemployed (including 67,908 long-term unemployed), who participated in YEI intervention, and 21,727 inactive NEETs. No indicators for those unemployed who are not registered with the PES and youth with disabilities were specified in PO WER, but the programme makes clear references to include these groups. Output and result indicators are presented in Annex II. The defined output indicators are seen to be achievable, but ambitious. However, the following remarks should be taken into account the number of NEETs in Poland in the public statistics could be overestimated due to the fact that about 2 million Polish people are currently residing in other EU Member States and this group consists mainly of the young people that had difficulties entering and staying in the local labour markets in their home towns (usually small cities). Moreover, some respondents reported problems with the recruitment of project participants or foresee that such problems could appear in the future (as the majority of potential participants will already be targeted in the first years of YEI implementation). Such problems are in particular reported by the PES, as they mainly offer their support to the people that are registered as unemployed. The PO WER foresees that the long-term effects of the interventions are to be measured by the employment effectiveness that fulfils the following criteria (could be modified depending on the labour market situation): in the case of an employment contract the project participants have to be employed for at least 3 months; or, in the case of a civillaw contract (the Labour Code does not apply) s/he has to be employed for a minimum of 3 full months and the total salary may not be lower than three times the monthly minimal wage in Poland or, if the contract specifies the outcome of the work and not the duration to perform the task, the total amount of the contract may not be lower than three times the monthly minimal wage in Poland. The aim is to ensure that employment on the civil contracts will only be offered to the target group on the condition that it lasts at least 3 months and provides at least the minimum wage as well as contributes to the social and health security systems. The result indicators include the numbers of: unemployed participants who complete YEI supported interventions (92%), unemployed participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship upon leaving (75%), unemployed participants who are in education/training, gaining a qualification or in employment, including self-employment, upon leaving (69%), long-term unemployed participants who complete the YEI supported intervention (94%), long-term unemployed participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or 5

11 traineeship upon leaving (77%), long-term unemployed participants who are in education/training, gaining a qualification, or are in employment, including selfemployment, upon leaving (59%), inactive participants not in education or training who complete the YEI supported intervention (96%), inactive participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship upon leaving (58%), inactive participants who are in education/training, gaining a qualification, or are in employment, including self-employment, upon leaving (44%), participants in employment six months after leaving (58%), participants in self-employment six months after leaving (23%). Added value and national significance of YEI interventions The YEI has focused the support on the needs of young people, in particular those in particularly difficult situations in the labour market. In the previous programming period, the need to support young people in the labour market was not so much accentuated as well as there were no special focus on NEETs. Moreover, further added value of the YEI is the fact that it does not only allow for enhancing the number of supported persons and for providing more individual and complex support, but also that it allows for the introduction of new forms of support and targeting particularly difficult target groups (which require special types of support). For example, 20% of YEI and ESF allocation for the priority axis Young people on the labour market will be allocated to competitive projects targeting young people in particularly difficult situations (such as former prisoners, young people from orphanages). The YEI and ESF actions in PO WER are important for the implementation of the YGIP, as mentioned only about ¼ of implementing activities for YGIP are not supported with YEI and ESF funds (loans for setting up business). Moreover, the YEI activities are intended to directly contribute to the relevant country-specific recommendations, which stress youth unemployment as one of the challenges to be addressed Programming arrangements for the ESF interventions Target groups There is no difference between the logic, target groups or types of activities for YEI and ESF actions. Related ESF actions on youth unemployment are equivalent to the YEI actions, with the only difference being that they are implemented in the 6 regions not eligible for YEI funding. Moreover, the YEI funding is only supposed to be implemented until After the full utilisation of YEI funding in the eligible 10 regions and/or after 2018 the actions for NEETs in the priority axis Young people on the labour market will be implemented with the ESF. Types of activities planned The same activities are implemented as in the YEI-eligible regions, as described under point 2.1. Expected outputs and results The ESF-funded part of the priority axis Young people on the labour market has the following output indicators: 422,447 total number of unemployed targeted, 162,044 long-term unemployed, 65,496 inactive, not in education or training (for less developed regions) and 47,984 unemployed, 18,406 long-term unemployed and 7,439 inactive (for 6

12 more developed regions). With regard to the results indicators: number of people under 30 who received qualifications after participation in the project (30%) and number of people under 30 who work 6 months after participation in the project (including selfemployed) (58%). 3. Implementation progress up to November Implementation of the YEI interventions YEI supported actions launched up to November 2015 Two projects of the Voluntary Labour Corps were started in August 2014 Idea for yourself and Equal labour market ; the PES projects were started in Ongoing activities The YEI in Poland is to be implemented following four different modes: projects implemented by local PES offices on a non-competitive basis (Action YEI, ESF PO WER), competitive projects implemented by regional PES offices (Action YEI, ESF), non-competitive projects implemented by Voluntary Labour Corps (1.3.2 YEI, ESF), and competitive projects implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (1.3.1 ESF). The selection criteria have already been adopted and a total of 31 calls for proposals have been launched up to November 2015 in the first priority axis of PO WER (includes both YEI and ESF actions). The main selection criteria included: complexity of support (at least three different types of support) and individual approach, target group of 100% NEETs 15-29, support offered within 4 months of the participant s entry into the project, recognition of the local labour market needs, providing certified qualifications to the project participants, and high expected employment efficiency. As mentioned previously, the VLC s projects were launched in 2014 and the PES projects were launched in Regarding the types of YEI and ESF actions, those already launched are: provision of traineeships and apprenticeships, provision of first job experience, job and training mobility measures, start-up support for young entrepreneurs, quality vocational education and training courses and second chance programmes for early school leavers. The main types of beneficiaries of both YEI and ESF (first priority axis of PO WER) are the following: public employment services (75% of allocation), voluntary labour corps (at least 5%) and social partners, non-governmental organisations, private employment agencies. The PES mainly target the unemployed who are registered, whereas VLCs have a broad network of educators and partners at the local level that enable them to target the persons who are not registered or are in the age group The cooperation between VLCs and PES is a bottom-up initiative and there are no systemic arrangements that underpin it. The opinion that effective cooperation between these institutions could be challenging was raised in the Commission Staff Working Document (SWD(2015) 40 final) as well as by the respondents. The youth employment activities implemented under YEI are designed to respond to the specific challenges that young people face when entering the labour market and to provide the complex and individual support. Personalized action plans are an obligatory element in the types of support provided. The first evaluation results confirm that the project participants receive complex support, in particular those that took part in the 7

13 projects run by VLCs (they received on average 9 different types of support, whereas those that were supported in the PES projects receive on average 2 different types of support). Funding up to November 2015 Although the VLC s projects already started in 2014, the financial implementation of YEI was only made possible in Up to November 2015, 222,368,885 has been committed for YEI actions, out of which 150,658, has been contracted out up to November 2015 and 6,469, paid to beneficiaries. The Managing Authority does not recognise any impact of additional pre-financing for the YEI in The delay in the start of the YEI implementation was caused by the lack of formal decisions and specific regulations at the EU level. Table 3 - The amount of funding up to November 2015 (EUR) Total (EUR) Share of total amount budgeted (%) Amount of funding committed 222,368, % Amount of funding contracted out Amount of funding paid out to beneficiaries 150,658, % 6,469, % Source: MA survey. Outputs and results achieved up to November 2015 Up to November 2015, 6,634 people have been supported under the Youth Employment Initiative in Poland. Out of these, 3,292 were female and 3,342 were male, and there were 4,113 unemployed (including long-term unemployed) and 2,521 inactive. Data from the national evaluation provides some additional characteristics of the project participants: just over 6.7% were aged 15-17, about 60% were aged and 31% were aged The interventions mainly targeted people with primary, secondary and upper secondary education levels, and above 50% were living in the countryside. With regard to their status in the labour market, about 50% were unemployed, 23% longterm unemployed and 23% inactive (at the moment of the project s start). The immediate results of the YEI produced up to November 2015 evidence that 1,661 participants completed the YEI supported intervention, 600 received an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship upon leaving, 1,137 were in education/training, gaining a qualification, or are in employment, including selfemployment, upon leaving. The most popular forms of support provided include: job counselling and grants for setting-up own business for PES projects (above 50% of participants) and individual and group job counselling, psychological workshops, educational support, vocational trainings, workshops on active job search and paid internships for VLC projects (above 50% participants). The support provided by VLCs was more complex and targeted at youth in more difficult situations. The first long-term effects show that 2-6 months after participation in the project, 69% of participants worked or were in education or training, 8

14 and 57% were employed. The participants were satisfied with the quality of the offer they received (90%) the most valued forms of support included internships, apprenticeships and professional training. The least valued were courses on the family life, driving licence courses, and workshops with lawyers. Table 4 - Key characteristics of the NEET target population supported (number of individuals) years years Female Male ISCED11 Levels 0-2 ISCED11 Levels 3-8 Unemployed Inactive n/a n/a 3,292 3,343 n/a n/a Source: MA survey October/November Communication of the YEI Communication of the YEI activities is carried out by the implementing institutions (such as regional PES), the Managing Authority and beneficiaries, using different communication tools TV and radio spots, press articles and advertisements and information meetings for YEI beneficiaries. In 2016 the Managing Authority (Ministry of Infrastructure and Development) plans to launch a national information campaign, to publish a brochure and to launch a call for communication projects. The regulatory requirements to communicate to participants that the actions are funded by the YEI are respected by appropriate designation on all documents and materials. The information of the necessity of such designation was provided in the guides for beneficiaries and implementing institutions as well as in the contract with each beneficiary. Risks and challenges The key challenges and risks faced by Managing Authorities and implementing bodies concern the volatile labour market situation, which may affect the achievement of the planned output indicators. Moreover, some respondents reported that there might be problems with targeting the NEETs, particularly those aged and those in particularly difficult situations in the labour market. As already mentioned, the number of NEETs aged is very small, and the official number of young people with a difficult situation on the labour market could be overestimated because of the significant outflow abroad. The Managing Authorities decided therefore that the actions at the beginning of the programming period should focus only on NEETs and, after achievement of the target indicators, other groups may be supported. However, all the respondents see the achievement of indicators as ambitious but achievable. The risk of making low quality offers to participants is mitigated by the beneficiaries direct responsibility for the project s implementation (they bear the financial responsibility). The monitoring of YEI results is secured by the regular system of YEI and ESF actions monitoring and evaluation. 9

15 3.2. Implementation of the ESF interventions ESF supported actions under Investment Priority 8.ii launched up to November 2015 Two projects of the Voluntary Labour Corps were started in August 2014 Idea for yourself and Equal labour market ; the PES projects were started in Ongoing activities Due to the similarities of implementation of YEI and ESF actions, the ongoing activities in the ESF interventions are the same as described in 3.1 (but they are implemented in the regions not eligible for YEI funding). Funding up to November 2015 Up to November 2015, 144,163,059 has been committed for ESF actions, out of which 95,715, has been contracted out up to November 2015 and 4,665, paid to beneficiaries. Table 5 - The amount of related ESF funding up to November 2015 (EUR) Total (EUR) Share of total amount budgeted (%) Amount of funding committed 144,163, % Amount of funding contracted out Amount of funding paid out to beneficiaries 95,715, % 4,665, % Source: MA survey. Outputs and results achieved up to November 2015 Up to November 2015, 3,301 young people participated in the ESF activities under the first priority axis Young people on the labour market. Limited characteristics are known about them 1,500 were female, 1,801 male: 1,556 unemployed and 1,745 inactive. According to the national evaluation study, there is little difference between the key characteristics of participants of ESF and YEI actions, who have already been described in section 3.1. The only differences reported were that the participants of ESF actions were slightly older than participants of YEI actions (i.e. 39% of them were aged between 24-29, whereas for YEI the figure was 31%). ESF actions covered more city residents (51% compared to 47% in YEI), and slightly less inactive persons (16% compared to 23% in YEI). The differences between the outcomes of ESF and YEI actions were not analysed in the ongoing evaluation study, and there is no information on the immediate and long-term results of ESF interventions only. On the YG offers provided to the ESF activities participants see section 3.1. The most popular forms of support provided include: job counselling and grants for setting-up their own business for PES projects (above 50% of participants) and individual and group job counselling, psychological workshops, educational support, vocational trainings, workshops on active job search and paid internships for VLC projects (above 50% participants). The first long-term effects show that 2-6 months after participation in the project, 69% of participants were in employment, education or training.. The participants were 10

16 satisfied with the quality of the offer they received (90%) the most valued forms of support included internships, apprenticeships and professional training. The least valued were courses on the family life, driving licence courses, and workshops with lawyers. Table 6 - Key characteristics of the target population supported (number of individuals) years years Female Male ISCED11 Levels 0-2 ISCED11 Levels 3-8 Unemployed Inactive n/a n/a 1,500 1,801 n/a n/a Source: Respondent survey. 4. Conclusions The implementation of YEI and related ESF youth employment actions follows the same logic (incl. target groups, eligible beneficiaries, types of support, selection criteria, etc.), but ESF supports the activities in the 6 regions not eligible for YEI funding. The implementation of both actions in Poland started with some delays due to the lack of decisions and specific regulations on YEI implementation at the beginning of 2014 at the EU level. However, in August 2014 two major projects targeting NEETs were launched by the Voluntary Labour Corps. These projects target some of the most difficult target groups, including those that are in the age-group years, those not registered with the PES or those coming from particularly difficult social backgrounds. In 2015, the PES projects, which target mainly those registered as unemployed and aged 18-29, were also launched. Up to November 2015, 40.47% of total YEI specific funding has been committed and 11.51% of the total budget for ESF youth-related actions. VLCs and PES are the main beneficiaries of YEI and ESF actions in Poland, but they have complementary target groups (some overlaps possible) and different allocations (PES 75%, VLCs 5%). The challenges to consider here are: the lack of an established system of cooperation between these players, the extended role of VLCs in PO WER implementation (previously they were focused on low-skilled youth only), the capability of PES to target unregistered unemployed youth and those in the most difficult situation. However, both the PES and VLCs are experienced in the implementation of ESF projects and VLC is particularly effective in targeting the more disadvantaged youth. Moreover, the YEI and ESF actions also foresee the competitive projects called for by Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs that are to target the particularly difficult target group such as former prisoners or young people from orphanages. The achievement of outcome indicators does not seem to be at risk unless the labour market situation changes dramatically. The target values are ambitious, in particular as the statistics on youth unemployment may be overestimated due to emigration, but the MA puts the focus on the most difficult target groups in the first years of PO WER implementation (NEETs). Moreover, the good system of regular results monitoring and evaluation is already in place. The YEI and ESF interventions are to a very high extent compatible with the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan (loans excluding), as well as with EC recommendations for Poland. 11

17 Updated evidence from the national evaluations Type of evaluation: external; interim; outcome/impact evaluation. Quality of the evaluation: The national evaluation report is based on the independent evaluation carried out by the consortium of research and consulting companies and institutes (Instytut Badań Strukturalnych, Imapp Sp. z o.o., IQS Sp. z o.o.). The evaluation is based on the analysis of the following data sources: i.) support recipient database provided by PES and VLC via the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development (21,204 persons), ii.) computer-assisted telephone interviews with project participants (1,150), iii.) online survey with project coordinators (422) and iv.) in-depth interview with support coordinators at the local and central level (10). The telephone survey was preceded by a pilot study. All survey findings were weighted to increase the representativeness of the sample with regard to basic demographic characteristics. The response rate from the online survey reached 60%. Reference period for the evaluation: The evaluation covers the period from August 2014 (start of the first project funded from YEI) to August 2015 (actual date of the database of final beneficiaries that was used for further analysis). Key findings from the evaluation: The de facto share of target groups in the projects implemented for young people with YEI and ESF interventions corresponds to the real share of the target groups in the population. However, selection of participants by PES could be skewed by a so-called creaming effect (intention to achieve highest employment efficiency through selecting persons who have highest chances on the labour market regardless of their participation in the project). There are some reported difficulties (39% of project coordinators) with recruiting NEETs from certain target groups, such as minors under 18, long-term unemployed youth or those with disabilities or coming from ethnic minorities. However, it is planned that additional projects awarded on a competitive basis will address the specific needs on these target groups. The degree of the complexity of the support received by the final beneficiaries differs depending on the implementing institution: the participants of PES projects received on average only two forms of support, while participants in VLC projects received on average nine forms of support (but these projects focus on a more difficult to reach target group). The employment effectiveness of the support was high. 3-4 months after having received support, 67% of final beneficiaries were in employment (PES beneficiaries 87%, VLC beneficiaries 35%). The percentage of those that were either in employment or education and training accounted for 76% (90% of PES beneficiaries and 53% of VLC beneficiaries). 10% of beneficiaries returned to schools to complete the compulsory education and 11% to complete higher education. Over 97% of project participants were satisfied with the quality of received support. The most appreciated forms of support included individual counselling by the employer, group classes with career counsellors, vocational courses and trainings, relocation allowances, and traineeships vouchers. It is 12

18 worth mentioning that the perceived effectiveness of instruments such as apprenticeship vouchers and training vouchers was relatively high when compared to their traditional equivalents, i.e. offers of traineeships and training courses. The major challenges with implementation of the projects included: delays in publishing programme documentation and frequent changes in its interpretation and guidelines (35% of respondents in PES projects mentioned this problem), low involvement of participants (26%) and high drop-out rate (24%) for VLC projects. The evaluation findings indicated also the need to improve communication between the implementing institutions and the Managing Authority, extend the complexity of support granted by PES as well as to put a stronger emphasis on a real, in-depth diagnosis of participants needs (which were found to often be neglected or conducted as a mere formality) and on finding employment offers and maintaining contacts with local entrepreneurs. Moreover, there is a need for closer cooperation between PES and VLC. Updated information from the evaluation No new information, a draft version of the evaluation had already been consulted previously. 13

19 Bibliography Council Recommendation of 14 July 2015 on the 2015 National Reform Programme of Poland and delivering a Council opinion on the 2015 Convergence Programme of Poland. C 272/91, European Commission (2015), Commission Staff Working Document, Country Report Poland 2015, Brussels , SWD(2015)40 final. European Commission (2015), Youth Employment Initiative Poland, Country fiche. Government of the Republic of Poland (2014), Operational Programme Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój (PO WER, Knowledge, Education, Development), Government of the Republic of Poland (2014), Operational Programme Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój Annual and final implementation reports for the Investment for growth and jobs goal. IBS, IMAPP, IQS (2015), Evaluation of the support provided to young people under the under the Operational Programme Knowledge, Education, and Development (Badanie efektów wsparcia zrealizowanego na rzecz osób młodych w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój), Ministry of Infrastructure and Development in Poland, Detailed descriptions of priority axes, Operational Programme Wiedza, Edukacja, Rozwój, March 2015, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (2014), Ministry of Infrastructure and Development in Poland, The Youth Guarantee Implementation Programme in Poland, April

20 Annex 1 The youth employment situation Proportion and characteristics of NEET population in a country (age groups and 25 29) NEET proportion in the respective age group (%) AGE GROUP NEET proportion by sex (%) Female Male NEET proportion by education (%) ISCED11 Levels NEET proportion by labour market status (%) ISCED11 Levels Unemployed Inactive AGE GROUP Source: Eurostat yth_empl_160, yth_empl_150, accessed on 25 th Nov Proportion and characteristics of young unemployed in your country (age groups and 25 29) Total youth unemployment rate (%) AGE GROUP Youth unemployment rate by sex (%) Female Male Youth unemployment rate by education level (%) ISCED11 Levels ISCED11 Levels ISCED11 Levels AGE GROUP Source: Eurostat yth_empl_090, accessed on 25 th Nov Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education. 5 Upper secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education. 6 Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education. 7 Upper secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary education 8 Tertiary education 15

21 Annex 2 Expected outputs and results of the YEI and other ESF youth employment actions Output indicators Youth Employment Initiative: Number of unemployed (incl. long-term unemployed) who participated in YEI intervention Number of long-term unemployed who participated in YEI intervention Number of inactive, not participating in education or training who participated in YEI intervention Other ESF youth employment actions: Number of unemployed, including long-term unemployed who participated in ESF intervention (less developed regions) Number of long-term unemployed who participated in ESF intervention (less developed regions) Number of inactive, not in education or training, who participated in ESF intervention (less developed regions) Number of unemployed, including long-term unemployed who participated in ESF intervention (more developed regions) Number of long-term unemployed who participated in ESF intervention (more developed regions) Number of inactive, not in education or training, who participated in ESF intervention (more developed regions) Target values Reference population of the output indicator (only where relevant) 177, Project participants 67, Project participants 21, Project participants 422, Project participants 162, Project participants 65, Project participants 47, Project participants 18, Project participants 7, Project participants Result indicators Youth Employment Initiative: Unemployed participants who complete the YEI supported intervention Unemployed participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship upon leaving Unemployed participants who are in education/training, gaining a qualification, or in employment, including self-employment, upon leaving Long-term unemployed participants who complete the YEI supported intervention Target values Reference population of the result indicator (only for the result indicator targets expressed in percentages) 92% Project participants 75% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 69% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 94% Project participants 16

22 Result indicators Long-term unemployed participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship upon leaving Long-term unemployed participants who are in education/training, gaining a qualification, or in employment, including selfemployment, upon leaving Inactive unemployed participants who complete the YEI supported intervention Inactive unemployed participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship upon leaving Inactive unemployed participants who are in education/training, gaining a qualification, or in employment, including self-employment, upon leaving Participants in continue education, training programmes leading to a qualification, an apprenticeship or a traineeship six months after leaving Participants in employment six months after leaving Participants in self-employment six months after leaving Other ESF youth employment actions: Number of people below 30 who received qualifications after participation in the project Number of people below 30 who work 6 months after participation in the project (including self-employed) Target values Reference population of the result indicator (only for the result indicator targets expressed in percentages) 77% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 59% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 96% Project participants 58% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 78% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 44% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 58% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 23% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project 30% 58% Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project Project participants who successfully completed participation in the project Source: Operational Programme Wiedza, Edukacja, Rozwój (Knowledge, Education, Development, PO WER), , Poland. 17

23 Annex 3 List of interviewees Type of interviewee Position Organisation Interview mode (faceto-face, Skype/ phone) Date of interview Managing Authority YEI contact, Director of the Department of EFS Management The Ministry of Infrastructure and Development Face-to-face Managing authority YG coordinator, Director of the Labour Market Department The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Phone Implementing body Head of the Department of noncompetitive ESF projects Regional Employment Office in Mazowieckie region (PES) WUP Warszawa Face-to-face Implementing body V-ce Head of the Voluntary Labour Corps Headquarters Voluntary Labour Corps Headquarters Face-to-face Implementing body for YG Department of European Programmes Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) Face-to-face Evaluator Project Coordinator/researcher Institute of Structural Research Face-to-face

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