Combating EU unemployment
Providing labour-market oriented training to the long-term unemployed has formed part of EU policy for some time. But even though such training programmes have been ongoing for a number of years, there was little evidence to suggest that these programmes were effective. The EU's Crivet Unemployed project set out to examine the outcomes and the effectiveness of labour-market oriented training programmes. The focus was placed on the dropout rate and the percentage of trainees finding a steady job after the programme. Following a number of case studies and surveys, it was shown that the number of trainees that did find employment following training programmes was quite high. Furthermore, structured programmes of fixed duration, which included practical training and job-search training were shown to be the most effective. A number of parameters were not examined during the project, especially those affecting early drop-out rates and individual country characteristics. However, the available results indicate the effectiveness of these programmes overall. By examining the variables associated with training programmes, new insight can be gained and further improvements can be implemented for the benefit of Europe's long-term unemployed.
