Young People Looking for Employment - The Ombudsman on the Opportunities and Difficulties They Are Facing

The legal environment is suitable for coordinating theoretical education and practical training. While they are still studying, all young people should be given the opportunity to accumulate some experience in the world of labour; that is why more attention should be paid to maintaining good relations with employers offering practical training. Although there are several government programs in effect, the current systems of support and incentive in Hungary do not provide efficient assistance to fresh graduates and young people looking for their first job - pointed out Ombudsman László Székely.

In Hungary the number of the young unemployed is growing faster than the European average. According to the 2012 data, 29 out of 100 in the age group of 15‑24 did not have a job. In the course of his project "The Dignity of Labour", the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights investigated legal employment opportunities for the young people and the latters' chances on the labour market.

As the Minister for National Economy informed the Ombudsman, unemployment is high especially among young people with low qualification, and the post‑graduation period of seeking employment has increased. Their rate on the labour market had been continuously decreasing during the recent decades, which could be partly explained by the longer education period, but also by the scarce labour demand, unmarketable qualification, little mobility and the low level of part‑time employment. In his answer to the Ombudsman, the Minister for National Economy also pointed out that the Government had launched several labour market oriented programs for young people in order to eliminate these factors.

The Director General of the National Labour Office, as well as the presidents of several higher educational institutions, emphasized the importance of professional experience. He pointed out that employers hiring fresh graduates do appreciate up‑to‑date professional knowledge. At the same time, they deem it a disadvantage that, on many occasions, the training of unexperienced young employees requires too much time and effort from the part of the skilled and experienced workers. Such new employees tend to work slower for an extended period, which is far from compensated with the related tax incentives and the lower wages.

Young people do not have sufficient information on the labour market, and the employers are not familiar with the various qualification categories. Both the civil organizations and the potential employers have raised the problem that it would be of major importance to offer courses with specializations that would be useful on the labour market, too, since education has grown much apart from the demands thereof. Those who acquire practical skills and experience during their studies are quicker to find an appropriate job; a high number of the fresh graduates return to work to the place where they had their professional practice.

According to a survey conducted in 2012, 41 per cent of the students interviewed indicated their intention to work abroad after graduation. Those students who have a chance to study abroad in the course of their higher education can find a job more quickly and easily, fewer of them are unemployed and their average salary is considerably higher. More than half of the student living and studying in employment‑wise disadvantaged regions would seek to live and work abroad.

The investigation conducted by the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights uncovered that, in order to help the fresh graduates to find employment, the universities and colleges operate career offices and student centres, conclude cooperation agreements with various organizations and enterprises, monitor job offers. This is not typical of the secondary schools.

 The legal environment is suitable for coordinating theoretical education and practical training. While they are still studying, all young people should be given the opportunity to accumulate some experience in the world of labour; that is why more attention should be paid to maintaining good relations with employers offering practical training. Although there are several government‑sponsored labour market programs in effect, the current systems of support and incentive in Hungary do not provide efficient assistance to fresh graduates and young people looking for their first job - pointed out Ombudsman László Székely.

The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has sent his report to the competent ministries.