2022, the European Year of the Youth

2021

2022, the European Year of the Youth

“Europe needs all of its youth.”

These were the words used by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Derleyen, to present the new direction that the European Union should take for the upcoming year. Focusing on young people and their needs to help them shape the future of Europe.  As she mentioned, “Our union needs a soul and a vision they can connect to”.

It is not only about the Erasmus Programme that connected more than ten million people in the last 34 years. Now, for young workers, the European Union wants to put in action ALMA, an initiative that will help young Europeans to find temporary work opportunities abroad.

2022 will be the time to empower those who dedicated so much time to others in the last year. Whilst the pandemic has been challenging for all, it is undoubtedly true that young people have been disproportionately impacted by it. It has hindered their studies, reduced their chances of finding a job and significantly affected their mental health.

As the Director-General of Education, Youth, Culture and Sport at the European Commission, Themis Christophidou, said during the Slovenian Youth Conference 2021: “As we’re gearing up the European Year of Youth 2022, it’s important to address the mental health & wellbeing concerns of young people to not leave a pandemic scar on Europe’s future generations.”

Europe needs all its youth, and at ERYICA, we are committed to highlighting the leading role of young people and providing them with opportunities for their full development through youth information.

Read the complete statement of the President on the State of the Union here.