“Spain’s lost generation” Institutional study of employment training for unemployed youth

Abstract: This study contributes to the understanding of supply-side Training for Employment (TE) for the unemployed youth. The rates of youth unemployment in the European Unions have been matter of concern in the political agenda in the latest years, thus the European Employment Strategy has placed a particular emphasis in addressing this issue. As a result of the 2008 economic recession, the rates of youth unemployment increased significantly in most EU countries, but as the effects of the recession have lessened in most countries so it has youth unemployment. However, in countries like Spain, Europe’s 5th largest economy, the rates of youth unemployment are far higher than the European media. Therefore, it is of crucial relevance to gain a better understanding of which factors might have an incidence in this phenomenon. This study has focused on the TE provision for the unemployed youth and the institutional determinants of its supply. In order to investigate the institutional determinants of TE provision, this study focused on the subjective views of active social actors in neo-corporatists pacts. Through, the use of interviews and official document analysis, this research aims to answer how has the institutional environment influence the TE for the unemployed youth. The collected material was analyzed through a combination of Varieties of Capitalism and Institutional theory perspectives. The results of this paper indicate that the Spanish institutional environment is resilient to changes, despite the negative economic indicators and social turmoil. Furthermore, based on the VoC framework of analysis, it is argued that the Spanish regime of production and the social protection systems have failed to create adequate complementary processes to successfully implement the EES. Therefore, there is a discrepancy between the European Employment Strategy objectives and the national conditions, to make of the EU the most innovative economic area in the world.