The Institute of Structural Research and the World Bank have asked us to support the organisation of this event that brought together 200 people from over 31 countries – scientists, policymakers, and representatives of non-governmental organisations. Participants of the conference were discussing the most recent problems and trends related to the youth labour market.
The rigorous evaluation of the labour market policies is crucial. Good quality administrative data allow researchers to track the employment history of program beneficiaries in the long run. Counterfactual methods allow them to assess the impact of a given program precisely. Researchers and policymakers should take into consideration how labour market programs affect different groups of people (e.g. women and men). More emphasis should be put on supporting individuals with vulnerable backgrounds. To reach them, policymakers should use innovative outreach strategies and cooperate with local institutions that work with young people.
The conference was hosted by the Institute for Structural Research as a lead partner Youth Employment PartnerSHIP in cooperation with project members: Budapest Institute for Policy Analysis, Collegio Carlo Alberto, Foundation for Applied Economics Studies (FEDEA), National Institute for the Analysis of Public Policies (INAPP), and the University of the Basque Country, NHH – Norwegian School of Economics and J-PAL Europe.
The full-day event programme included three panel sessions. Each session began with an introduction by an expert followed by a policy panel. A Q&A session rounded off each session. Due to the hybrid nature of the event, questions and comments were also collected from remote participants.
The on-site event started at 9:30 a.m. Guests were welcomed by a welcome coffee. The event programme also included a lunch break, two coffee breaks and finally drinks and networking to close the event.