CORE, the Coalition for Social Studies in Rural and Agricultural Youth in Europe, publishes today its study ‘Assessing youth employability in agriculture and rural communities: A comprehensive overview’, together with a first set of awareness-raising materials aimed at bringing the realities of young people in rural and agricultural areas closer to policymakers, stakeholders and the wider public.
Led by Wageningen University & Research Rural Sociology, the study provides a European perspective on youth employability in agriculture and rural communities, combining a review of existing research and policy documents with survey evidence from four focus countries: Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland. By looking at both the broader European context and the lived experiences of young people in different rural territories, the study offers a timely contribution to current debates on the future of rural areas, generational renewal and the conditions needed for young people to stay, work and build a future in their territories.
At a time when Europe is increasingly discussing how to make farming and rural life viable for the next generation, the report highlights that youth employability cannot be reduced to access to jobs alone. It is also shaped by access to land, skills, finance, services, infrastructure, social life, wellbeing and the possibility to imagine a long-term future in rural areas. From this point of view, the publication contributes to a broader reflection on what it takes for young people in agriculture and rural communities to stay, work and build a future where they belong.
“The future of Europe’s rural areas depends not only on creating opportunities, but on making those opportunities realistic, accessible and viable for young people. With this study, CORE aims to provide evidence that can support more grounded discussions on youth employment, rural belonging and generational renewal,” the CORE Project Coordinator, Mario Béjar Fuentes, stated.
Alongside the report, CORE is also publishing a set of awareness-raising materials, including factsheets and an infographic, designed to make the findings more accessible and easier to use in policy, communication and stakeholder discussions. These materials will help translate the study’s main messages into clear and practical insights for organisations working on rural youth, agriculture, employment and social innovation.
In the coming days, CORE will share a series of key findings from the study, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities identified by young people across the four focus countries. These data will contribute to ongoing discussions on how Europe can better support young people who want to remain active in agriculture and rural communities, and how public policies can create the conditions for a new generation to establish itself with confidence.