Early school leaving & youth unemployment - Phase III Final conference

On 8 May 2015, the P&V Foundation has organised a conference in Brussels that closes its vast programme of research action on the integration of young people who have been excluded by early school leaving or unemployment.

In the afternoon, Marion Beeckmans (Advisor Minister of Education , Culture and Child within the Government of the Federation Wallonia- Brussels, Joëlle Milquet) Grégor Chapelle, General Director of Actiris, Fons Leroy, Delegate Administrator of VDAB, Micheline Scheys, General Secretary of the Flemish Community Department for Education and Training, Sonja Teughels, Senior expert labour market of VOKA and Olivier Willocx, Delegate Administrator of BECI and President of the Economic and Social Council for the Brussels-Capital Region reacted to the political recommendations made by the participants of the conference.

In the morning, four remarkable people were invited to share their experiences in helping young people: Céline Alvarez (FR), founder of an experimental nursery class, Sihame El Kaouakibi (BE), Coordinator of 'Let’s Go Urban' in Antwerp, Pierre Pirard (BE), Delegate Administrator of 'Teach for Belgium' and Hiltje Rookmaker (NL), Director of the Leon van Gelder secondary school in Groningen.

The keynote speaker of the conference was Eric Charbonnier, education expert and analyst in OECD Directorate for Education and Skills.

The conference also aimed to present and discuss the best practices of 6 Belgian organisations, supported by the P&V Foundation, who work on the economic and social integration of young people. Moreover, a dozen other best practices from Belgium and abroad that promote the social inclusion of young people were presented and discussed in workshops.