The Convention, which was opened and closed by the European Commissioners Marianne Thyssen and Valdis Dombrovskis, saw panel debates and presentations by a wide array of young people and witnesses of young people that have been meeting obstacles of various kinds in participating in societal life or finding employment.

Issues tackled in special workshops and side-events included ‘The right of young people to adequate income’, ‘Barriers and success factors to facilitate young people’s social and labour market participation’ and ‘Intergenerational fairness and combatting youth poverty: Making the European Social Model work for everyone today and tomorrow’. CESI Youth Representative Matthäus Fandrejewski acted as rapporteur for a workshop on ‘Opening up quality pathways for young people’ and presented conclusions to the conference’s plenary.

Reacting to the conference, he said: “As a young trade unionist, I see on a daily basis that Europe still has a long way to go towards a successful integration of disadvantaged young people. This year’s Annual Convention on Inclusive Growth showcased that the EU and the Member States must invest much more in early childhood education and care, primary and secondary education and training. Investing in young people’s future opportunities is not only a natural duty for governments but also the cheapest way to achieve and maintain thriving economies. Investments in people, especially disadvantaged ones, pay off socially and economically.”

Further information about the 2017 ACIG, including conclusions of workshops, will be made available on the European Commission’s website.