Io2 Report Europen Eu Studies

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318
Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
European Studies and Statistics

Young Unemployed and Early School
Leaving
EUROPEN-PEN International
Worldwide Practice Enterprises Network
Karolingerstrasse 93
45141 Essen, Germany
Page | 1
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Introduction
Leaving school without any adequate qualifications is a phenomenon especially in terms of
higher risk of unemployment for young people who, instead of entering the labor market and
the commencement of work activities, become welfare recipients. This may lead to a growth
of social tension. At the societal level, education is associated with productivity, innovation,
economic growth and social cohesion. Dropping out of school is often associated with
socially disadvantaged families and low educational level of parents, and is a high-risk factor
for social exclusion.
This report shall present current1 European statistics about young unemployment and early
school leaving within the European Union. Therefore a selection of studies on national, EUand international level will be presented regarding main results and key figures. In a short
summary the benchmarking about European and international policies will be discussed. In
addition there will be an outline of best practices from several EU member states.
Before pointing out the different aspects that are directly connected to the problem of young
persons with a high risk of leaving school without any graduation the general question within
the project is whether we are measuring the same target group as the existing EU studies.
According to the EU definition, early school leavers are persons aged 18 to 24 who have
finished no more than a lower secondary education and are not involved in further education
or training2. The target group within our project aims at school students aged 14 to 16. This
question will be discussed in the further course of this report.
Please note that there could be some similarities to the national reports of our project
partners.
1
2
Especially from 2013 and 2014.

th
Eurostat Press Office (2014): GDP and beyond. Measuring quality of life in the EU. Published on March 19 2014
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Study results: Europe 2020 education indicators in the EU28 in 2013

For early school leavers (persons aged 18-24 who had at most lower secondary education
and were currently not in further education or training) in the EU28, there has been a steady
decrease, from 17% in 2002 to 12% in 2013. The Europe 2020 target is to reduce the share of
early leavers from education and training to below 10% of the EU28 population in this age
group by 2020. In general the improving of the EUs performance in education is one of the
key objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy.
The lowest shares of early leavers from education and training are in Croatia, Slovenia and
the Czech Republic.
In 2013, the proportion of early leavers from education and training (population aged 18-24
who had at most lower secondary education and were currently not in further education or
training) decreased compared with 2005 in all Member States, except Poland and Slovakia.
The proportion halved in Portugal (from 38.8% to 19.2%) and Cyprus (from 18.2% to 9.1%).
In 2013, the lowest proportions of early school leavers observed in Croatia (3.7%), Slovenia
(3.9%), the Czech Republic (5.4%) and Poland (5.6%), and the highest in Spain (23.5%), Malta
(20.9%) and Portugal (19.2%). Eleven Member States have already fulfilled their 2020 national
targets for this indicator (the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Austria, Slovenia and Sweden).
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Early leavers from education and training

(% of the population aged 18-24 with at most lower secondary education and who are currently not in further
education or training)
In 2013 Germany and Lithuania already decreased their number of early school leavers
according to their national targets.
The number for the same target group is higher than the headline target of the country in
Bulgaria, Spain and Italy.
Compared to all 28 EU countries, Spain has the highest number of early school leavers. But
compared to 2005 there is a significant decrease for this target group.
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Study results: Measuring quality of life in the EU

Early school leavers face a higher risk of social exclusion and poverty, according to research,
and societies need to strive to reduce the number of young people in this situation.
There is no clear correlation between GDP per capita and the proportion of early school
leavers: while most of the western and northern Member States have high GDP per capita
and shares of early school leavers lower than the European average, the lowest shares of
early school leavers have been achieved in a group of Member States mostly in the central
and eastern EU, all with lower GDP per capita.
In 2012 (see figure 3.17) the number of early school leavers in Bulgaria, Germany and
Lithuania is under the average of the EU28 with 12,7 %. In Spain and Italy the number is
significant higher compared to the EU level. Although f. ex. the GDP of Spain is twice as high
as in Bulgaria, the share of early school leavers in Bulgaria is with 12,5 % half as high as in
Spain with 24,9 %. So in general there is no clear correlation between GDP per capita and the
proportion of early school leavers of a country within the EU.
In 2012 the countries Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland and Slovenia have the lowest shares of
this target group. Czech Republic will be presented as a best practice in the next chapter.
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Study results: Sustainable development in the European Union

As part of the improvements in education, the share of early leavers from education and
training has fallen steadily since 2003, reaching 12.8 % in 2012. If recent trends can be
sustained, the Europe 2020 target (see figure 3.16) of reducing the rate of early school
leaving rates to less than 10 % by 2020 seems to be in reach.
The participation in lifelong learning increased between 2003 and 2012. However, most of
this increase occurred between 2003 and 2005, while participation in lifelong learning has not
seen further progress since then. The Nordic countries achieved the highest participation
rates, whereas Bulgaria, Greece and Romania have recorded little or no progress in improving
their low levels of involvement.
Concerning the long-term unemployment during the early part of the last decade, it was
slightly higher for women, regardless of their age. The rates have assimilated since then.
Among the young, more men than women are affected, which can be explained by a higher
proportion of male early school leavers.
In 2012, 14,5 % of boys left school with at most lower secondary education, whereas the girls
share of early school leavers was 11,0 %. Overall, girls were more likely to reach upper
secondary education.
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Created: 05.02.2015
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Study results: Key Figures on Europe

A part of this study deals with the connection of school enrolment and early leavers from
education and training.
School helps young people acquire the basic life skills and competences necessary for their
personal development. In 2011, there were approximately 92.9 million pupils and students
enrolled in educational establishments in the EU-28. This figure excludes pre-primary
education: some 91.4 % of four-year-olds (4.8 million individuals) in the EU-28 were in
education in 2011. Over four fifths (80.7 %) of all 18-year-olds in the EU-28 (or 4.7 million
individuals) remained in the education system. However, this ratio rose to above 90 % in
eight Member States.
In 2013, some 12 % of all pupils and students aged 18 to 24 (13.6 % of males and 10.2 % of
females) were early leavers from education and training, with at most a lower secondary
education. The target that the share of early leavers from education and training be less than
10 % by 2020 was adopted in the framework of a strategic European cooperation in
education and training. That level was already reached in 2013 by 17 of the 28 EU Member
States.
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Study results: Comparison EU and World 2014
Traditional analyses of the labour market focus on employment and unemployment, but for
younger people many are still in education. Labour market policies for young people often
focus on those who are not in employment, education or training, abbreviated as NEETs.
Factors that affect the proportion of young people not in employment, education or training
include the length of compulsory schooling, types of available educational programmes,
access to tertiary education, as well as labour market factors related to unemployment and
economic inactivity (being neither employed nor unemployed). The figure 4.6 indicates the
proportion of the group of 15 to 24 years olds that were not enrolled in education (school or
formal training) nor employed in 2012, which ranged among the G20 members from 10 % or
less in Australia and Japan, through 13 % for the EU28 to more than 25 % in Indonesia (2010
data), Turkey (2010 data) and South Africa. As Canada is very close to the EU average, this
country will be presented in the next chapter as an external best practice.
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Created: 05.02.2015
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A related indicator is the rate of early leavers from education and training which shows the
percentage of the population aged 1824 having attained at most lower secondary education
and not being involved in further education or training: in the EU28 a total of 12.7 % of this
age group were classified as early leavers in 2012, of whom most (7.4 %) were not employed.
Summary
In total there is a constant decrease of early school leavers within EU, although there are
significant differences of the proportion. As being described there are several reasons for
higher shares of early school leavers on different levels, not directly connected to the GDP
per country. In addition there is no unilateral distribution of the proportion. Those countries
with a high level of early school leavers and unemployment rates show a good development
towards their national headline targets. Regarding the international level of this target group
there is a relatively low share within the European Union.
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Best Practices
Within this chapter the best practices within the European Union will be presented.
In general the situation of young people who are facing a risk of leaving school at an early
state looks like this:
Source of data: Eurostat (09.03.2015)
This map shows the percentage of early school leavers aged 18 to 24 years old in 2014 within
the European Union. Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia and Lithuania
have with a percentage of below 6 a very low share of this target group. Austria, Denmark,
Sweden and Slovakia are also on a low level.
In contrast to those countries, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Romania and Turkey have very
high rates of early school leavers with up to 38,2 %. Within this group the figures differ
significantly from 13 to 38,2 %.
Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland and Latvia are on a medium scale,
between 7,6 and 13 %.
Examples Within EU
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Austria
This statistic (see below) shows that Austria has already reached the target of the percentage
of early school leavers to below 10 %: The country decreased the rate from 10,7 % in 2007 to
7,3 % in 2013 which is lower than the EU average of the same year with 12 %.
According to the Ministry of Education their measures for achieving this rate are3:
Implementing coaching for youth and an active promotion for this target group.
Improving the educational consultancy
Providing adequate methods for teachers
Individualization of learning and teaching
Supporting language courses
Implementing quality initiatives, site-specific learning concepts and early warning

systems.
In addition to those measures there is a division of the problem of early school leaving into
several levels. Austria regards this issue f. ex. on a global level and works on the networking
and sensitization in public4.
Blickpunkt Identitt (2014): damit niemand rausfllt! Grundlagen, Methoden und Werkzeige fr Schulen zur
Verhinderung von frhzeitigem (Aus-)Bildugsabbruch, page 24f.
4
Blickpunkt Identitt (2014): damit niemand rausfllt! Grundlagen, Methoden und Werkzeige fr Schulen zur
Verhinderung von frhzeitigem (Aus-)Bildugsabbruch, page 74.
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
The basis for those figures is the fact that within Austria Practice Enterprise training is
mandatory for students in Higher Colleges for Business Administration and Business Schools.
In the field business education it represents a practical element, as it is close to real lifeeconomy5. This concept could also be part of an additional program in other types of
secondary VET schools and colleges or in institutions for adult education.
In total the education system in Austria stresses the importance of the concept of Practice
Enterprises. In addition a lot of those training firms have partnerships with real business
companies.
ACT: http://www.act.at/en.
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Czech Republic
With a percentage of drop-outs of around 5 % in 2014 the country has a very low share of
early school leavers. This is lower than Austria and on the same level as Lithuania. This is
mainly due to a wide range of high school less demanding fields.
Total % Early leavers from education and training, source of data: Eurostat
In the Czech Republic, the proportion of students dropping out of education compared to EU
countries is relatively low, mainly due to the developed apprenticeships and wide range of
lighter training programs.
On the other hand, in a situation of economic stagnation when austerity programs and
increasing competition in the labour market leads to growth unemployment and social
tension, early school leaving is becoming highly risk factor for the development of socio6
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/index.php/School_enrolment_and_early_leavers_from_education_and_training
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
pathological phenomena and the social exclusion. From this view it is necessary to pay school
dropout increased attention, including mapping existing prevention and intervention
measures and their uptake
Some schools and counseling services. Investigation was developed as part of career
guidance in terms of curriculum reform VIP Careers II-KP in 2011 and in 2012 was
accompanied by so-called collection. Examples of good practice, which can be an inspiration
for schools and other organizations active in this field.
One
objective
is
the
expansion
and
modernization
of
the
information
system
www.infoabsolvent.cz which focuses on comprehensive support for career choices. The

website of the system the realization of the project as well as newly created section aimed at
helping pupils social disadvantage and prevention of drop-outs, which are gradually put the
outcome of the investigation and examples of good practice in this area.
Czech Republic implemented three measures recommended by the E-U in the Horizon 2020
programme for reducing early-school leaving:
Preventive measures
When prevention is necessary first of all to avoid creating the conditions that can lead to
early school leaving. One of the most effective means can be considered a quality education
and care in early childhood. Availability of quality early childhood education is therefore a
need to increase. Other preventive measures are to focus mainly on issues such as systematic
language support for children of migrants, strengthening integration or targeted support for
disadvantaged pupils.
Intervention measures
Intervention addresses emerging difficulties at an early stage and tries to avoid that led to
early school leaving. Measures relating to schools as a whole are intended to improve school
climate and create a motivating learning environment. Effective form of assistance to
vulnerable pupils may be early warning systems and better cooperation with parents. Highly
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
effective means to provide relevant support through networking with actors outside the
school and accesing local support networks. Measures aimed at students include mentoring
and tutoring students, individual teaching approaches and financial support, such as.
Contributions to education.
Compensatory measures
Compensatory measures offer opportunities for education and training to those who have
already dropped out. They may take the form of financial or other types of support. The point
is to motivate young people to re-engage in the mainstream education system, or offer them
so. "Second chance".
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Finland
In all, 5.6 per cent of students attending education leading to a qualification or degree
discontinued their studies and did not resume them in any education leading to a
qualification or degree during the 2012/2013 academic year. In upper secondary general
education, the discontinuation percentage was 3,4 %, in vocational education aimed at young
people it was 8,5 %, in polytechnic education 8,3 %, and in university education 6,9 % (please
see Appendix table 1). Discontinuation decreased from the previous year in all educational
sectors except university education, where it increased. These data derive from Statistics
Finlands Education Statistics.7
Discontinuation of education in upper secondary general, vocational, polytechnic and university education
in academic years from 2005/2006 to 2012/2013, %
7 Education. Statistics Finland (2015): Discontinuation of education increased in university education. Published on
th
March 19 2015.
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
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Created: 05.02.2015
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Canada8
The dropout and low graduation rates are realities facing many CEGEPs (last 2 years of
secondary) in Canada. Since the implementation of the PE concept in 2003, the success rate
for the first session of CEGEP has increased from 66% (2001) to 94% (2012) compared to
80% overall in CEGEP studies.
More importantly, for boys, the success rate has increased dramatically, from 52% in 2001 to
96% in 2012 for the first session. Here are some statistics to prove that the formula is actually
winning and teaching by doing makes all the difference:
Figure 1
Proportion of students enrolled in Business Figure 1 Proportion of students enrolled in Business

Administration programmes including a PE.
Administration programmes without a PE.
Girls
Girls
Boys
Boys
48%
41%
52%
59%
Figure 2
Re-registration rate between the 1st and 2nd Figure 3 Re-registration rate between the 1st and 2nd
session in Business Administration with the PE concept for session in Business Administration at the CEGEP level for
high early-school leaver schools.
low early-school leaver schools.
90
90
80
80
Boys
Girls
(%)70
Boys
Girls
(%)70
60
60
50
50
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
http://lescegeps.com/pedagogie/approches_pedagogiques/ce_que_jentends_je_loublie_ce_que_je_vois_je_men_so
uviens_ce_que_je_fais_je_lapprends
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Created: 05.02.2015
Updated: 30.03.2015
Index list of EU studies
Eurostat Press Office (2014): Europe 2020 education indicators in the EU28 in 2013. Share of
young adults having completed tertiary education up to 37%. Published on April 11th 2014.
Eurostat Press Office (2014): GDP and beyond. Measuring quality of life in the EU. Published
on March 19th 2014
Eurostat (2013): Sustainable development in the European Union. Key messages.
Eurostat (2014): Key figures on Europe.
Eurostat (2014): The EU in the world 2014. A statistical portrait.
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Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

European Studies and Statistics

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Especially from 2013 and 2014.

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Study results: Europe 2020 education indicators in the EU28 in 2013

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Early leavers from education and training

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Study results: Measuring quality of life in the EU

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Study results: Sustainable development in the European Union

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Study results: Key Figures on Europe

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Study results: Comparison EU and World 2014

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Source of data: Eurostat (09.03.2015)

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Improving the educational consultancy

Providing adequate methods for teachers

Individualization of learning and teaching

Supporting language courses

Implementing quality initiatives, site-specific learning concepts and early warning

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

www.infoabsolvent.cz which focuses on comprehensive support for career choices. The

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Proportion of students enrolled in Business Figure 1 Proportion of students enrolled in Business

Agreement no: 20141ES01KA201004318

Index list of EU studies

Eurostat (2013): Sustainable development in the European Union. Key messages.

Eurostat (2014): Key figures on Europe.

Eurostat (2014): The EU in the world 2014. A statistical portrait.

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