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International conference discusses the issues of youth integration into active citizenship and labour market

On Wednesday 23 September Kaunas City Municipality welcomes the four day international conference of the project “On Tour for Europe. Bringing Youth Step by Step to Active Citizenship and Job Creation”. The participants from nine EU Member States are going to share best practices and recent challenges they have to solve in their countries and cities.

“It is the duty of the City Administration to create all necessary conditions that young graduates can find favourite job and leisure hobbies to build their personal future and the future of the City. Therefore, it is very important that NGOs, volunteers and local government joins efforts in solving youth issues“, – stated Kaunas City Deputy Mayor Vasilijus Popovas on the opening of the conference.

The participants from Belgium, Greece, Spain, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Estonia and Lithuania from 23 – 26 September will discuss such topics as the principles of EU Youth guarantee initiative, carrier education, professional orientation, development of entrepreneurial skills and support for young businessmen, useful information services from youth job centres, youth discussion platforms, various events and programmes of inclusion of youth into problem solving, expression of youth opinions and cooperation with local government.

„I hope that Kaunas conference will ground steady foundation in solving youth unemployment problems. This topic is important for the whole Europe as youth unemployment is one of the most painful issues for the whole continent“, – stated Mr. Ivo Belet, a member of European Parliament representing Belgium.

The participants will also have study visits and group discussion workshops at open youth centre “Actio Catholica Patria” which works with NEETs, Kaunas Pupils Technical Creation Centre with their 26 technical non-formal education clubs, Kauno Maironis University Gymnasium and its Professional Consulting Coordination Centre and pupils’ educational enterprises, Kaunas business information centre “Businessmen Home”, and Youth Employment Centre of Kaunas Region Labour Exchange.

The cultural theme of the project explores the historical remembrance of European Countries, and in Kaunas the topic of discussion will be the freedom of speech, opinion, beliefs and self-expression in historical hardships as well as contemporary Europe. For the free flow of information it is important to respect linguistic variety that is why European Union Member States celebrate September 26 as the Day of European Languages. To commemorate this day the project initiated the opening of the exhibition VIZITĖLĖS – THE STITCHED GREETINGS TO EUROPE on 25 September at Vytautas Magnus University Faculty of Humanities (K.Donelaičio g. 52). The handcrafted greeting cards have been created by pupils and community members in the cities of project participants reflecting the most important symbols and words with expectation for peaceful, friendly and welfare future.

The project conference events in Kaunas have been organised by Kaunas City Municipality in cooperation with Vytautas Magnus University, Science and Technology Park “Technopolis”, Kaunas “Europe Direct” information centre, the society of XXVII Book Lovers. The project is supported by European Commission “Europe for Citizens” programme.

PROGRAMME OF THE CONFERENCE

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