1. The Youth Congress was held last March. What is your assessment of it?
I believe I cannot assess the Youth Congress without referring to the entire prior process that culminated in the Congress, as it was designed as a continuum.
As you know, with the aim of developing a new youth strategy for the coming years, a consultation and joint working process began in May 2021 with all stakeholders involved in youth policies. This process materialized last March 2022 with the holding of the Youth Congress of Catalonia.
Six driving groups were created, formed by representatives from the Directorate General of Youth and the Catalan Youth Agency, as well as representatives from municipal entities (Catalan Association of Municipalities and Counties and Federation of Municipalities of Catalonia) and representatives from the National Youth Council of Catalonia
, to design the actions preceding the Congress.
In autumn – winter 2022, 20 activities were carried out, with the participation of a total of 640 people, which served to
establish the debate points in the areas of governance, climate justice, equity, emancipation, and digital transformation. Among them were more than 530 professionals, political representatives for youth, youth organizations, and nearly 110 young people from 1st to 4th year of ESO, with GAME JAMs that allowed for gathering their priorities and proposals and approaching this group with a gamified methodology more aligned with their stage of life.
Furthermore, nearly 1200 young people completed the UTRÒPOLIS ESCAPE experience, which aimed to gather the voices of young people on how they wanted the policies affecting them in the coming years to be, and which reflects their prioritization in areas such as education, employment, housing, participation, and interaction with the Administration.
This reflection reached its peak on March 17, 18, and 19 at the Youth Congress of Catalonia. Three days where all actors involved in defining youth policies were called to participate in their construction. A Government Congress, a country-wide Congress, because its conclusions would form the basis for youth policies in the coming years.
A
hybrid Congress, both in-person and online, attended by over 400 people throughout the three days of the Congress, including political representatives and youth professionals, experts in the field, representatives of youth organizations, and young people.
Thus, this entire process has involved the voice and participation of more than 2300 people and has become key to addressing issues such as housing, education, employment, health, the climate emergency, social inequalities, feminisms, access to culture, etc.
It must be said, however, that the pandemic situation added complexity to the development of the process and likely had, in some cases, a demobilizing effect. We are also aware that the calendar, format, or characteristics of some of the proposed spaces may not have adapted or generated enough interest among some agents linked to youth policies (youth professionals, political representatives, youth organizations, or young people), and for this reason,
we are considering some new actions in this final stage.
2. What is the process for defining a new framework for youth policies?
The contributions and conclusions gathered throughout this previous process will form the basis for a
new Youth Strategy, which is currently under construction. We will also consider the measures included in the Youth Monographic Plenary held in May 2022, which also urges us to promote and work on various lines.
Before, however, finalizing this new Youth Strategy for the coming years, we believe it is essential to conduct a final review and validation of the document with those stakeholders who have been less present throughout the debate and reflection process, either because they did not feel called to participate or because the calendar, formats, or methodology did not suit their needs.
For this reason,
during the autumn of 2022, we will generate various contrast groups, focused on specific subjects and/or profiles (experts, young people, youth organizations, local entities, representatives from the Generalitat Departments, parliamentary groups, etc.) to gather amendments and specific contributions to the draft of what will be the new youth strategy.
And this entire process, as it could not be otherwise, will be worked on jointly with the members of the current PNJCat governing council (municipal entities and the National Youth Council of Catalonia), who co-lead with Youth the design of the new framework for youth policies.
The objective is that, before the end of 2022, we will have the new Youth Strategy that will guide youth policies in the coming years.
3. It seems that although it is decreasing, youth unemployment remains an unresolved issue. How do you think this problem should be addressed?
Indeed, youth unemployment is, unfortunately, an issue that needs improvement. As you know, in most European societies, even during periods of economic prosperity, youth unemployment is double that of the rest of the population. Therefore, it is clear that measures are needed to facilitate young people’s access to the labor market, but also fundamental, structural measures that help reverse this situation. And this must be done taking into account the existing inequalities within the youth group (due to gender, geographical origin, educational level, functional diversity, etc.) and the different intervention needs that arise from them.
In this regard, I believe it is essential to address
several lines to reverse this:
- It is necessary to continue promoting measures to encourage hiring, making a significant commitment to providing autonomy and direct resources to young people, at a socially and economically difficult time for many families.
- It is necessary to offer new opportunities to young people without qualifications, addressing the data on early school leaving, as it is a basic factor for access to the labor market and for social inclusion.
- It is necessary to continue investing in strengthening Vocational Training for Employment, as increasing the professional qualification of young people is one of the tools to improve their labor market integration at all levels.
- It is necessary to establish criteria for benefits or new measures considering the youth group, as they do not have access to the main subsidies due to the precariousness and instability of their contracts.
- It is necessary to work on employment policies in coordination with local agents. Although youth employment policies have had a high territorial capillarity in recent years, progress must be made in adapting them to the needs and characteristics of the different territories of Catalonia.
- It is necessary to continue promoting interdepartmental coordination of youth employment policies, also in the execution of the new Youth Guarantee+ Operational Program 2021-2027, to ensure comprehensive personalized interventions with young people, which will strengthen programs and actions with better employment integration results.
- It is necessary to continue building a network of support and guidance for young people, especially in labor and educational matters. In this sense, the National Youth Emancipation Network and the network of Youth Employment Referents are crucial instruments to provide personalized guidance and individualized attention at key moments of their educational and professional transition. These networks allow us to act preventively against early abandonment and the difficulties young people face in accessing the labor market, avoiding the initiation of disruptive trajectories that are very difficult to redirect in the long term and much more costly in terms of public expenditure.
- And it is necessary to invest in knowledge sectors with added value. Although this is not a new measure, the truth is that there is still a long way to go to adapt the labor market to the knowledge society, which is absolutely necessary to generate qualified employment opportunities for young people.
4. What is your assessment of the labor reform and its impact on youth employment?
It must be said that the labor reform introduces some elements that could have positive effects on youth employment. However, it is necessary to observe its medium-term application to assess its real effects.
The disappearance of the contract for work or service and the increase in penalties in this regard could favor greater stability in the hiring of young people, who have always been overrepresented in temporary employment. The same applies to the increased penalty for very short-term contracts to reduce excessive rotation, which could also benefit the youth group.
Likewise,
the elimination of training and internship contracts, and the creation of a training contract based on two categories: “alternating training,” when combined with vocational training, university studies, or a professional certificate, and “obtaining professional practice,” once the qualification has been obtained, could mean a gain in rights for young people. Until now, the misuse and overlap of training and internship contracts have been a common phenomenon that has generated much precariousness and instability among young people. These novelties, together with the elimination of the probationary period, during which there was no severance pay, and the creation of a Trainee Statute, could encourage young people to achieve more stable career paths, as they are the ones who suffer the most instability.
On the other hand, the reform also expands the scope of the permanent-discontinuous contract, which, although a less harmful contractual modality, it is not clear what its effects will be on hiring, especially in the case of young people, as it is a modality that does not guarantee continuity in employment nor does it provide stability in hiring, since the cost of dismissal remains under the parameters of the 2012 reform.
Therefore, as I said, it will be necessary to monitor the impact that this reform will actually have on the young population.
5. What is your assessment of the National Youth Emancipation Network and the Youth Employment Offices?
As you know, the XNEJ is currently composed of 44 Youth Offices (OJ) and 221 Youth Information Points (PIJ), and its main task is to facilitate access to information, guidance, and advice for young people, primarily in areas related to emancipation (education, employment, international mobility, housing, and health).
For us, the National Youth Emancipation Network (XNEJ) is a crucial instrument for structuring youth policies in the territory and, especially, for enabling young people to realize their life projects from proximity and their immediate environment.
In this sense, we believe that these objectives are being met, as the territorial presence, the trajectory of the services, and the work of the various professionals working there (543 according to the latest diagnosis) make them reference points for young people.
An example of this, although not in the area of employment, is that during the recent application period for the Youth Rental Bonus, the XNEJ offices and points assisted more than 1,600 young people in a few days to help them with the application process.
Regarding employment, it must be said that it is one of the most requested topics and accounted for 16% of the more than 300,000 inquiries registered in 2021 across all XNEJ services. Likewise, the networking carried out within the offices and points with other services and agents in the territory allows for the development and deployment of projects that are key for young people. A very clear example of this is the figure of the
Youth Employment Referents, who are mainly located in the OJs and PIJs, which allows for very positive comprehensive work within these services.
In this sense, we believe that to support young people, it is necessary to create flexible workspaces that accompany these tasks. And youth spaces allow for this adaptation (in terms of opening hours, methodology and activities, characteristics and typology of the space, etc.) and constitute an optimal space to achieve the objectives.
Therefore, the specific services offered by the XNEJ (whether related to Employment or other areas) or the DGJ’s own
Youth Employment Office located on Calàbria street are an example. The specific focus of their services towards young people allows for more effective assistance to this group. All services offered make the employment sector more accessible to young people, whether referring to job placement, socio-labor counseling, or access to self-employment.
Furthermore, the Youth Employment Office has adapted to the situation caused by the pandemic, especially regarding the diversification of communication channels and formats with young people. The use of online channels and social networks has allowed us to stay connected with young people. And this effort has been key to continuing to be a reference for the rest of the XNEJ’s youth points and offices, with the Job Board and the informative materials published periodically.
6. Autoocupació’s motto is ‘I am what I want to be.’ Are you?
I have a degree in Chemistry, and already during my laboratory practicals in university, I realized that research, the internal work of experimentation, was not my field. When I finished, I completed the CAP (the current master’s degree to become a secondary school teacher) and for almost 12 years, I taught mathematics and science in ESO and Baccalaureate. And I wanted to dedicate myself to it for the same reason I was also a councilor in the Granollers City Council for over 10 years: my true vocation is contact with people, service to others, and especially if it means accompanying adolescents and young people in their growth, even better. Therefore, when I was offered the opportunity to lead the Directorate General of Youth, besides being a true honor to be part of the Government of my Country, I thought it was an unbeatable way to sublimate this personal vocation during a complicated period for young people. But at the same time, it was exciting for what it means to put all my work capacity into this cause. Therefore, unequivocally yes,
I am what I want to be!
