Tailored and targeted measures to help young Danes

Denmark’s government wants to increase its effort to get all young people into education and work, and to prevent a further increase in youth unemployment. As a result it has presented two so-called youth plans within one month.

Plan 1

• 18 to 19 year-olds receiving social benefits will be targeted with offers of help as soon as they become unemployed.
• 1 billion Kroner (€130 million) to the new initiative “A new deal for the young”, with job centres targeting young people without work and education.
• 1 billion Kroner (€130 million) to be made available in 2010 to create 5,000 new apprenticeships, to help more finish their vocational training.

Plan 2

• 15 to 17 year-olds shall follow their curriculum, with help from municipalities.
• Municipalities to offer mentor support to young people at risk of dropping out of school.
• All young people must assess their readiness to enter education before they do so. 
• Job centres should offer employment or apprenticeships to young people who are not quite ready to continue their education.
• Child support for 15 to 17 year-olds to be renamed youth support. Municipalities can stop the support when the young person fails to follow the curriculum or when parents and the young person fail to cooperate with the municipality.