Partner Article

Europe-wide initiative to encourage companies to employ trainees

The European Commission has launched the ’We Mean Business“ campaign, which aims to encourage companies to create trainee placements.

In 2012-2013, the Commission will provide funding support for a total of 280,000 placements through its Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus schemes for vocational and higher education students.

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: “We Mean Business will support efforts by Member States to combat youth unemployment, which has reached unacceptably high levels in some EU countries.

“In particular, we want to raise awareness of the value of international placements, which can improve an individual’s language skills as well as helping them to be more self-confident and adaptable. Our studies show that employers increasingly value these kinds of skills.”

The commission has surveyed companies, finding many are unaware they can host trainees. The campaign aims to change this, with events across Member States, targeted at chambers of commerce, regional development agencies, business support organisations and other ‘multipliers’ who can highlight the benefits of placements for companies.

It is part of “Youth Opportunities Initiative,” a European Commission scheme to increase Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus work placements by 30%.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .