Study on the impact of Non-Formal 
      Education in youth organisations on 
      young people’s employability 
       
       
      Commissioned by the European Youth Forum 
      Authored by Bath University/GHK Consulting 
       
      Manuel Souto-Otero (University of Bath) 
      Daniela Ulicna (ICF-GHK) 
      Loraine Schaepkens (ICF-GHK) 
      Viktoria Bognar (ICF-GHK) 
       
       
       
       
       
                   
                           
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
                  Contents 
                   
                  Foreword 
                  Executive Summary 
                   
                  1         Introduction ..................................................................................................... 5 
                   
                   
                  2         Non-formal education and employability: key concepts and policy context .. 14 
                  2.1   Non-Formal Education and Youth Organisations ........................................................................ 14 
                  2.2   Soft-skills and competences……………………………………………………………………… 
                  2.3    Employability, qualifications and skills .......................................................................................... 19 
                  2.4    The Recognition of non-formal education and non-formal learning: international perspectives .. 22 
                   
                   
                  3         Research aims and methodology ................................................................. 28 
                  3.1   Aims and research questions ....................................................................................................... 28 
                  3.2   Research methods ....................................................................................................................... 28 
                  3.2.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 29 
                  3.2.2 Review of sources ........................................................................................................................ 29 
                  3.2.3 Surveys: youth organisations and young people ......................................................................... 30 
                  3.2.4 Stakeholder workshop ................................................................................................................. 38 
                  3.2.5 Employer interviews ..................................................................................................................... 38 
                   
                   
                  4         Findings ........................................................................................................ 40 
                  4.1   Research question 1: What soft skills and competences, and at what level, are demanded in the 
                            labour market? ....................................................................................................................... 40 
                  4.1.1 Skills that employers demand ...................................................................................................... 40 
                  4.1.2    Ranking of skills most frequently demanded by employers ..........................................................  
                  4.1.3   Employers’ views on soft skills and successful job performance ............................................... 43 
                  4.2   Research question 2: What soft-skills and competences are developed and at what level through 
                            non-formal education in youth organisations? ....................................................................... 44 
                  4.2.1 Soft skills and competences developed by young people in youth organisations ....................... 44 
                  4.2.2 Young people’s degree of involvement in youth organisations and level of skills development .. 48 
                  4.2.3 Soft skills development and involvement in youth organisations outside the home country ........ 51 
                  4.2.4 Activities and tasks young people undertake in non-formal education in youth organisations .... 52 
                  4.2.5 The importance of educational and assessment plans ................................................................ 55 
                  4.2.6 Usefulness of the soft skills developed through involvement in youth organisations in young 
                            people’s current occupation ................................................................................................... 59 
                  4.3   Research question 3: To what extent are young people aware of those skills and competences 
                            and how to present them to employers? ................................................................................ 61 
                  4.3.1 Young people’s awareness of the skills and competences they develop in youth organisations 61 
                  4.3.2 Young people’s awareness of how to present the skills and competences developed in youth 
                            organisations to employers .................................................................................................... 62 
                  4.3.3 The use of recognition tools: European portfolios, Youthpass, Europass and other instruments 62 
                  4.4   Research question 4: To what extent, and under what conditions, do employers accept the skills 
                            and competences acquired through non-formal education in youth organisations ................ 66 
                  4.4.1 Review of sources: young people, extracurricular activities and recruitment processes ............. 66 
                  4.4.2 Extent of employer’s acceptance of the skills and competences acquired through non-formal 
                            education in youth organisations ........................................................................................... 73 
                  4.4.3 The conditions for employer’s acceptance of the skills and competences acquired through non-
                            formal education in youth organisations ................................................................................ 76 
                  4.5   Research question 5: In what other ways does participation in youth organisations enhance 
                            employability? ........................................................................................................................ 78 
                  4.5.1 Review of sources ........................................................................................................................ 78 
                  4.5.2 Participation in youth organisations, social capital development and employment opportunities 78 
                   
                  5         Conclusions and recommendations .............................................................. 80 
                   
                  Annex 1: Quantitative databases employed and main skills lacking by occupation 
                            where skills-shortage vacancies exist (UK) .................................................. 82 
                  Annex 2: Eurobarometer 75.2 data analysis approach and relevant questions ........ 91 
                  Annex 3: Background characteristics of respondents to surveys .............................. 95