Social Inclusion and Young People

Report of a research seminar held from 31st October till 2 November, 2005 This research seminar brought together researchers from across Europe, with NGOs and policy representatives, in order to develop a better understanding of social exclusion for young people, and to help provide evidence about the progress of strategies to promote social inclusion. This seminar had a rather unusual focus on vocational education and training (VET) and employment, in response to the European Youth Pact and the revised Lisbon Strategy’s greater emphasis on growth and jobs as crucial to tackling social exclusion. We therefore report the findings of the large panel on VET in rather more detail here. The related keynote address by Dr Beatrix Niemeyer highlighted the potential application of the most recent, cutting-edge learning theories for developing new pedagogies and more inclusive forms of VET for disadvantaged young people. Viewed in the light of a previous Youth Research Partnership seminar on non-formal learning, we believe that this presents exciting new opportunities for the youth sector. It suggests that those committed to informal and non-formal learning approaches could make a major contribution to improving VET in ways that support less advantaged young people’s engagement with it, and we particularly commend such approaches as a priority for further research and development.