This year's 10th European Congress of Local Governments takes place on 3-4 March in Mikolajki. As its organisers point out, it is a meeting place for local government leaders, regional elites, as well as representatives of the central administration, business, culture, science, NGOs and the media.

A good start to adult life. About youth support

On the first day of the Congress, Labour Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk took part in a panel discussion entitled "Voluntary Labour Corps – partnership with local governments to support young people". VLC Commander-in-Chief Jerzy Budzyn, Mayor of Gołdap Konrad Kazaniecki and Mayor of the Warsaw Bielany District Grzegorz Pietruczuk also spoke on the subject.

In the first part of the panel, the head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy spoke primarily about the government's policies to counter social exclusion of young people. An important part of this is the "Time for Youth – Youth Advisory Service Points" set up as part of the pilot.

They offer young people access to services and information in at least three areas: employment, social assistance, and psychological support (on a one-stop-shop basis). Additional areas of support include education, health, housing, legal and financial advice. An important element of the solutions is the inclusion of practical forms of support (especially internships) and actively reaching out to young people with offers and information about support.

We are in the process of evaluating the programme, but we already know that this formula makes sense and we must not abandon it.  That is why we create a legal possibility in the Act on the labour market and employment services prepared by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy to create and maintain advisory service points for young people and their further operation within district labour offices, Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk said.

She also mentioned the EU co-financed Youth Guarantee programme, which also effectively supports young people on the labour market.

Local community development worth its weight in gold

In the second part of the panel organised by the Voluntary Labour Corps, the Minister for Labour spoke about the most important objectives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in the area of support and development of local communities. Among the measures listed were those related to access to childcare services, assisted housing or support for people with disabilities.

The measures include the Active Parent and Active Toddler programmes, as well as the development of Care and Housing Centres transformed into Assisted Living Communities. There are also programmes implemented by the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, e.g. the Active Local Government programme, which offers support related to the elimination of transport barriers (assistance in purchasing and installing car accessories, assistance in obtaining a driving licence), the elimination of barriers to participation in the information society (assistance in purchasing electronic equipment and software, subsidised training, assistance in maintaining the technical efficiency of equipment).

Cooperation with local authorities is extremely important, and the numerous programmes directed at local government units make it possible to better support local communities and their development.