EUROPE: More and better superiority practices necessary

Practices as part of education courses are increasingly seen as the key to a better integration of young people into the labor market. The transition from education to full-time work is taking longer and becoming increasingly difficult for young people.

The lack of relevant skills is thought to be one of the main reasons why young people are not selected for the job requested.

The introduction of good practices of quality in higher education programs undoubtedly allow young people to obtain training in the workplace and experience to help them in finding jobs after graduation .

However, to ensure that training is successful, internships must be above all a learning experience that helps young people acquire practical experience and add practical skills for the knowledge and skills they have acquired through any formal or non-formal education. They should never replace paid work.

Practices as part of higher education should include:

* A written and legally binding contract between the educational institution and internal organization of accommodation outlining the fundamental principles of practices, including how many points they give credit for the diploma and a description of internal objectives and tasks learning.
* A description of the length of the internship and the tasks that correspond with specific learning objectives that are shared with students at the beginning of their internship.
* Guidance along a traineeship supervisor (s) or guardian (s) specifically trained for the role.
* The right to receive through the reimbursement of expenses incurred during the internship or the right to receive food, housing and public transport tickets instead.
* Decent remuneration for work performed additional requirements specified in the contract practices, including remuneration for overtime.
* Clear criteria of evaluation of the placement.

These criteria have been delineated by a group of experts led by the European Youth Forum, who are looking to draw up a European Quality Charter on practical learning that will eventually establish quality standards at European level for the training site work for young people.

The main reasons for this initiative are an increasing number of reports of internal lack of good educational practices and the growing evidence that practices outside of formal education are often replacing quality jobs for young.

A public consultation launched by the European Youth Forum and is open until 30 June 2011, to collect more ideas on how to improve the criteria that are as universal as possible.

Next to the drafting of the European Quality Charter on Internships and learning, the European Youth Forum has launched a major campaign to map the situation of young interns, past and present, in Europe. The aim is to identify the extent of the problem.