From City Halls to City Streets: How Local Leaders and Practitioners are Helping Young People in the COVID-19 Era
22 Sep 2021 15:00 – 16:30 CET
COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing social and economic challenges faced by young people. In addition, the pandemic had a disproportionate impact upon the young in already precarious situations, including youth from low-income backgrounds, immigrant families, youth with disabilities, and young parents. Key in many domains that matter for youth, local actors have a crucial role to play in facilitating a good start for young people.
This year OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth pledged to work closely with communities, organisations, and other levels of government to upscale efforts to support young people severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure a resilient and inclusive recovery for this generation. Increased efforts include taking actions in three main areas: i) youth access to local services; ii) youth access to local economic opportunities; and iii) youth participation in local public life. What concrete actions are local leaders taking to provide support to young people through and beyond the pandemic?
This special edition of the Champion Mayors Initiative’s Inequality Matters webinar series during OECD Youth Week 2021, organised in partnership with the OECD Local Development Forum, looked at the efforts taking place from city halls to city streets to empower youth during the COVID-19 era. It was organised as a joint conversation between Champion Mayors and local youth practitioners working on the ground.
Panel
- Peter Danielsson, Mayor of Helsingborg, Sweden
- Thomas Rogé, Head of the Youth Policy Division, Department of Youth and Sports, Paris, France
- John Wayman, Youth Mayor of Bristol, UK
- Denis Leamy, CEO, Cork Education and Training Board, Ireland and Chair of the OECD Local Employment and Economic Development Directing Committee
- Marita Raisanen, Coordinator for Ohjaamo, a one-stop-shop guidance centre for young people in Jyväskylä, Finland
Moderated by Sena Segbedzi, Coordinator for the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth initiative, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD.
