A new study by EUROMED Migration V examines expert knowledge and survey data on the aspirations of young people in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia to find out how EU talent partnerships can be used to increase the employment and mobility of young people in and from these countries.
According to the data analysed for this research, young people's aspirations encompass a variety of factors, but the desire for job security is at the top of the list. Employment allows young people to earn a wage, which is the foundation for reaching higher life objectives such as personal autonomy, housing, starting a family, and living a decent life. Another essential concern for the four countries' youth is high-quality education as a lever for social mobility. This may be inferred from high enrolment rates in higher education institutions, a preference for the perceived superior private education, and a lack of quality education being claimed as one of the driving factors in emigration. As education levels rise, so do expectations, which are frequently disappointed owing to a lack of opportunities, very low salary levels, and poor career progression. A number of study results reveal a mismatch between youth expectations and what employers offer. The gap between career aspirations and labour-market reality is especially wide among the tertiary-educated youth. Although Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia perform well in terms of the overall proportion of STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates compared to OECD countries, humanities remain the most popular study subjects.