Speaking at a keynote conference during the 2009 Employment Week in Brussels yesterday, Špidla said he was "particularly concerned" by the plight of young people, who have been among the hardest-hit by the bleak employment landscape as a result of the recession.
"Employment remains the greatest defence against social exclusion," the commissioner emphasised.
The European Commission earlier this month recommended that EU member states sign up to a commitment to provide five million apprenticeships across Europe this year and next. This would allow young Europeans facing unemployment to "ride out the storm" and be "more employable" at the end of their training, a Commission spokesperson told EurActiv.
However, the spokesperson admitted that this target had not been officially adopted by EU leaders, whose conclusions at the EU summit earlier this month were "very general" in respect of the Commission's action points.
"It has not developed further since then," the spokesperson indicated.
Preparing for the upturn
Špidla identified three "main actions" that the EU is taking to safeguard employment while the financial crisis continues. These are firstly ensuring people keep their current jobs, secondly creating new jobs, and thirdly, improving mobility for European workers so as to improve access to jobs.
He mentioned a new online 'map and match' service designed to help jobseekers match their skills with job vacancies throughout Europe. This cross-border job application/job-search mechanism was put in place via the existing European jobs portal EURES, which is fed vacancy data by national employment agencies.
Asked by EurActiv why in some countries private employment agencies can upload vacancies, while in other countries they cannot, Špidla stated that "this is up to the member states".
Moreover, the employment and social affairs commissioner highlighted the EU's twin-track push towards a "knowledge economy" and a "green economy", specifying these as the areas where the greatest job creation opportunities would arise.
Finally, Špidla also highlighted the need to "anticipate future needs" in key areas such as climate change and energy technologies, and future water supply difficulties. Anticipating such trends will enable Europe to emerge from the recession well-prepared for the inevitable economic upturn, Špidla said.
