Activities of João ALBUQUERQUE related to 2020/2005(INL)
Plenary speeches (1)
Quality traineeships in the EU (debate)
Amendments (48)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
— having regard to the Parliament resolution of 8 October 2020 on reinforcing the Youth Guarantee,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)
Citation 10 b (new)
— having regard to the Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on A Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 c (new)
Citation 10 c (new)
— having regard to the Parliament resolution of 17 February 2022 on Empowering European Youth: post- pandemic employment and social recovery,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 d (new)
Citation 10 d (new)
— having regard to the Parliament resolution of 24 November 2022 on the European Year of Youth 2022 Legacy,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11
Citation 11
— having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights, proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on 17 November 2017 at the Gothenburg Summit, in particular to its Principles No 4,1 and 4, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and the 2021 Porto Social Summit Declaration committing to work towards a Social Europe and reinforcing social cohesion;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
— having regard to the Conference on the Future of Europe outcome document of 30 November 2022, adopted within the framework of the European Year of Youth, notably proposal 47, measure 5 calling to “ensure that young people’s internships and jobs adhere to quality standards, including remuneration, putting an end to youth minimum wages and any other discriminatory labour law provisions specific to young people, as well as banning through a legal instrument unpaid internships on the labour market and outside formal education”;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
— having regard to the European Commission’s evaluation report of 10 January 2023 on the Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework on Traineeships;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 c (new)
Citation 11 c (new)
— having regard to the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which all EU Member States are a State Party to, notable Article 7(a)(i) on fair wages and equal remuneration, Article 7(c) on equal opportunities for all, and Article 9 on the right to social security for all;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas traineeships are a common way for young people to gain experience before finding stable employment; whereas traineeships can ease the transition from education or vocational training into the labour market; whereas it is crucial that optimal conditions and incentives are established to enable young people to have access to high-quality traineeships that will provide them with a useful learning experience, as well as work experience and the development of a relevant set of skills; whereas the skills acquired and the workload of traineeships must be proportionate to the remuneration for the traineeship; whereas the remuneration should be a right for trainees in the open labour market, whilst trainees in the education should have access to decent allowances;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the practice of unpaid traineeships as a form of exploitation of young workers and a violation of their rights and called for a common legal framework to ensure fair remuneration for traineeships in order to avoid exploitative practices;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas different types of traineeship exist across the Union and not all types can be found in all Member States; whereas most traineeships across the Union can be divided into the categories comprising: open-market traineeships, traineeships associated with active labour market policies and, traineeships that are part of professional training orand traineeships that part of an academic or vocational curricula;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas studies have established links between the quality of traineeships and employment outcomes8 , with remuneration being the key quality criteria to what establishes a high quality traineeship 8a; __________________ 8 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/et udes/STUD/2022/699459/EPRS_STU(202 2)699459_EN.pdf, p. 1 8a https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public /---dgreports/---dcomm/--- publ/documents/publication/wcms_79977 3.pdf
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas a person may experience discrimination differently based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, that person’s gender, race, colour or ethnic origin, nationality, genetic features, language, religion or belief, class or socialo-economic origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, or age; whereas young people living in the weaker financial circumstances, including people living in single-parent households, people with disabilities, migrants, people with lower education levels, young people not living with their parents and those from low work-intensity households, are less likely to have access to the resources required to undertake unpaid or low-paying internships8b; whereas it is crucial tofocus on addressing and overcoming all discrimination in traineeships and ensuring the accessibility of traineeships to persons and groups of persons who are furthest away from the labour market; __________________ 8b https://www.youthforum.org/files/230111- DP-CostUnpaidInternships.pdf
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas about half of all 15 to 34- year olds in the Union have gained work experience in at least one traineeship; whereas the majority of young people report having worked two unpaid internships before getting stable employment8c; whereas this means that approximately four million persons take part in at least one traineeship per year in the Union10 ; 8d; __________________ 10 8c https://www.youthforum.org/files/230111- DP-CostUnpaidInternships.pdf 8d https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/STUD/2022/699459/EPRS_STU(2 022)699459_EN.pdf, p. 2
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas, according to the same Eurobarometer survey, only 40 % of trainees received financial compensation and whereas more than half of those trainees (53 %) considered say that compensation to be insufficient to cover their basic living costs12 ; whereas adequatefair remuneration for traineeships must cover at least basic living costs; __________________ 12 Ibid
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that traineeships are primarily a learning experience and should not replace entry-level jobs; calls on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate and improve access for young people to high-quality, paid, accessible and inclusive traineeships, particularly to those coming from vulnerable backgrounds to achieve Union’ objective of social cohesion and inclusion;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that EU cannot promote precarity and that poor-quality and unpaid traineeships cannot be supported by public finances; insists that employers should receive and use financial public support only if they comply with the quality criteria, legislation and collective agreements;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that high-quality traineeships can play a valuable contribution in achieving the Union social targets by 2030, as having at least 60 % of all adults participating in training every year and having at least 78 % of people aged 20 to 64 who should be in employmentto have at least 78 % of people aged 20 to 64 who should be in employment, reducing the NEETs rate to 9% through quality opportunities; and the Agenda 2030 and in particular SDGs 1, 4, 8, and 10;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Highlights the need to protect young people from undertaking several consecutive traineeships by strict monitoring of the use of contracts aiming at making the transition between the education and labour market; calls on Member states to ensure that employers implement a break period between hiring interns for the same position, as otherwise it should be a permanent position; calls on Member states to ensure that there is an appropriate ratio between staff members and trainees in the workplace;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Insists that traineeships should be recognised as real work experience and taken as a primary condition for recruitment processes;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to update the 2014 Council Recommendation on Quality Framework for Traineeships and turn it into a stronger legislative instrument;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – introductory part
Paragraph 6 – introductory part
6. Recognises that existing Quality Framework for Traineeships principles remains relevant in supporting young people who undertakeguiding employers to offer high-quality traineeships; however, stresses that new principles must be added to match the vulnerable position of young people in the labour market; calls on the Commission, therefore, to include the following additional principles in an updated Quality Framework for Traineeships:
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – indent 1 a (new)
Paragraph 6 – indent 1 a (new)
- (1) eliminate hidden costs of traineeships undertaken to obtain formal qualifications by establishing adequate traineeship allowance in line with the cost of living (living wage) and inflation,
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – indent 3
Paragraph 6 – indent 3
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – indent 4
Paragraph 6 – indent 4
- established clear learning objectives and access to adequate mentorship and to the guidance of trained mentors;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – indent 4 a (new)
Paragraph 6 – indent 4 a (new)
- establish, in cooperation with the labour inspectorate, channels to report malpractice and poor conditions during the traineeships period,
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to propose a directive to ensure adequate remuneration for traineeships in order to avoid exploitativebinding quality standards for open labour market traineeships and fair remuneration based on minimum wage, in order to avoid exploitative practices, an access to social protection by trainees in accordance with national schemes (health insurance, unemployment benefits, pension contributions) and to limit the duration of the traineeships as well as the number of traineeships undertaken by the individual in the same field of practices;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates the central role that the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the Youth Guarantee, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and its associated Scoreboard linking funding to policies for the Next Generation, and the Youth Guarantee, which is not used to its maximum potential in the majority of Member States, can play in contributing to an increase in the number of high- quality traineeships; urges Member States, with the support of the Commission, to use all available resources in this area;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Member States to better utilise the ESF+ to help progression within education and training and transition to work, by supporting lifelong learning and employability with a view to facilitating full participation in society for all, and contributing to competitivenesparticularly those coming from vulnerable backgrounds in order to ensure their access to equal oportunities14 ; __________________ 14 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021 R1057&from=EN
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to raise awareness at national, regional and local level of available Union funds to ensure the accessibility by all to high-quality traineeships, particularly those coming from vulnerable backgrounds in order to ensure their access to equal opportunities;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the Commission proposal to make 2023 the European Year of Skills; calls on the Commission however to place particular attention on guaranteeing quality and paid traineeships during, particularly in the open labour market, as a legacy both of the European year of Youth and in-line with the Conference on the Future of Europe outcome document, and the European Year of Skills;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for more cooperation between all stakeholders involved, in particular education and vocational training providers, businesspublic employment services, national, regional and local governments and involvement of social partn, social partners and youth organisations and workers; suggests the creation of a European Alliance for Traineeships, similar to the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, uniting governments and key stakeholders with the aim of strengthening the quality and offer of traineeships across the Union, while promoting the mobility of trainees, notably by guaranteeing access to sufficient financial resources, and languages courses;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for the support of local pact for skills in cooperation with public employment agencies of local authoritiservices to ensure that traineeship help in closing the skills mismatch in the labour markets;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights that further data is needed in particular on: statistics of unpaid traineeships and in which sectors the issue is more predominant; barriers that trainees face in obtaining a high-quality traineeship and ways of overcoming them; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemicrecent socio-economic crises on trainees; the challenges frequently faced when undertaking a traineeship and ways in which to overcome them; possible obstacles faced by employers when offering high-quality traineeships and ways in which to overcome them; the advantages and disadvantages of digital traineeships; the experiences of trainees with disabilities as well as those coming from vulnerable backgrounds; obstacles to cross-border traineeships and ways in which to overcome them;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Recalls that any discrimination based on grounds such as sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or social and economic origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation must be prohibited; calls on the Member States to put in place specific measures to ensure this;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Underlines that high-quality traineeships must be inclusive and accessible to all; stresses, in particular, the need to support persons with disabilities to have access to high-quality traineeships while ensuring an inclusive recruitment process; calls for a Union-wide definition of disability and an expansion of the European disability card to facilitate the mobility of persons with disabilities and their ability to take up traineeship opportunities in other Member States; stresses the need for an accessible workplace for trainees with disabilities; calls for a revision of Council Directive 2000/78/EC15 to improve the article on reasonable accommodation in the workplace in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; calls for the unblocking of the adoption of a proposal for an anti-discrimination directive (COM(2008)0426); highlights the need for the unbundling of remuneration and disability support to allow for extra disability related costs for traineeships; highlights the importance of personal assistance to support persons with disabilities; calls for more cooperation between employsocial partners and the organisations representing people who are at greater risk of discrimination; __________________ 15 Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16).
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to adopt a framework or certificate which facilitates the recognition of skills acquired during the traineeship, in particular when it comes to cross-border recognition of skills;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Requests that the Commission submit on the basis of Article 153(2)(b) TFEU in conjunction with Article 153(1)(b) TFEU, a proposal for a framework dDirective on Quality Traineeships setting out minimum requirements for adequatequality standards and fair remuneration for traineeships based on minimum wage, following the recommendations set out in Annex I hereto;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Requests that the Commission submit a proposal to update the 2014 Council Recommendationfor a Decision of the European Parliament and onf the basis of Article 292 TFEU, in conjunction with Articles 153 and 166Council on a Quality Framework for Traineeships on the basis of Article 166 (4) TFEU, following the recommendations set out in Annex II hereto;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I
Annex I
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex I a (new)
Annex I a (new)
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex II
Annex II
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex II a (new)
Annex II a (new)