More than 300,000 young people excluded from employment have signed a Youth Engagement Contract (CEJ) since its launch a year ago, with a rate of access to sustainable employment of 43% for the first beneficiaries, a announced this Friday Elisabeth Borne. Among the first cohort of young people who entered in March 2022, 63% entered a job of one month or more in the 9 months following entry and 43% entered a contract of more than 6 months.
“The results are there”, welcomed the Prime Minister at the end of a session of “Matignon youth meetings”, within the framework of the National Council for Refoundation (CNR) wanted by Emmanuel Macron. “The objective is to enable those who are further away to bounce back, gain confidence and be able to access a job,” she recalled.
Lasting from six months to a year, the CEJ took over from the Youth Guarantee for 16-25 year olds (29 for the disabled) neither in education, employment, nor training, but also of those who find it difficult to stay in long-term employment.
An allowance of 300 to 500 euros for adults, 200 for minors
The CEJ’s challenge is to provide intensive support of 15 to 20 hours of activity per week: training, business immersion, job search workshops, etc. To avoid career breaks, the CEJ continues if the young person enters Second chance school, civic service, etc. While the Youth Guarantee was only operated by the local missions, the CEJ can also be offered for adults by Pôle emploi, which has dedicated 1,660 advisers who can each support a maximum of 30 young people.
Of the 301,725 young people who had signed a CEJ as of 31 January, 113,010 are supported by Pôle emploi and 188,715 by local missions. Non-graduates (44%) or infrabac level (14%) are in the majority and 58% are between 18 and 21 years old.
Adults can benefit from an allowance of 300 to 500 euros depending on their tax situation. Minors receive 200 euros. In a logic of “rights and duties”, the young person must commit to participating in all the actions.
During this meeting, Élisabeth Borne heard middle and high school students and members of associations who spoke in particular about the need to strengthen internships in companies in 3ème. “What struck me was that young people are aware of the importance of accessing a job, which is the way to break down determinism, gain access to autonomy (…) I did not hear a rejection of work,” she commented.