Madrid Conference Attracts High-Level Decision Makers
Against the stark backdrop of youth unemployment rates that reach up to 50% in some Mediterranean countries, EuropEFE convened the first International Conference on Creation of Employment Opportunities for Youth in the Mediterranean Region from April 25th - 26th in partnership with Casa Arabe and with support from OIT.
A key component of the MedEmpleo campaign funded by AECID (Spanish National Agency of Development), the conference aimed to raise awareness in the Spanish business community about the necessity of creating new youth employment opportunities, with an emphasis on effective initiatives on the ground.
To maximize the impact of the conference, EuropEFE assembled a group of high-level participants from the public and private sectors. Spanish Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs Gonzalo de Benito inaugurated the conference, which attracted Spanish entrepreneurs, members of the European business and government sectors. EFE Network Board members, staff and alumni played prominent roles as presenters, panelists and moderators. The two days of presentations and discussions culminated with closing remarks by Bernardino León, the European Union Special Envoy to the South of Mediterranean.
Click the following links to read the full conferfence report in English and Spanish.
Major Partnerships for Youth Employment Launched
In an effort to develop training programs in new technologies for unemployed youths in Morocco, EFE signed a collaborative agreement with the multinational management consulting company Accenture. Through the partnership, after the completion of their training, select EFE-Maroc graduates will have the opportunity to join Accenture's North Africa team as employees. The collaboration is part of a broader move to enhance the communication of business expertise between Morocco and Spain.
EuropEFE also signed a Letter of Intent with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the primary U.N. agency responsible for with labor issues pertaining to decent work for all. Together, EuropEFE and the ILO agreed to share knowledge, experience and resources and maximize their impact by working in partnership through their respective local, regional and global networks. In addition, EuropEFE signed an agreement with la Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM) and the UCM Foundation to strengthen EFE's training programs.
Media Focuses on Mediterranean Region Youth Employment
A successful media campaign during the ramp-up to the Madrid Conference enabled EuropEFE to raise awareness of youth unemployment in MENA through major news outlets. Leading Spanish newspapers such as El Pais, Cinco Dias, La Gaceta and Heraldo de Aragon published articles covering the Conference. Specialized publications such as Capital Humano dedicated full reports to the issue, and the Conference received TV coverage in Spain.
