Abstract

The European Youth Guarantee Program targeted at young NEET represents a potential opportunity for innovation in active labour policies. However, its implementation in Italy was viewed with concern because of the state of public employment services, as the Southern regions have never been able to abandon the bureaucratic logic of the old public placement system. This article presents the results of research carried out in Sicily, one of the most problematic Italian regions, with reference both to the conditions of the labour market, and to the institutional performance in the field of employment policies. Despite some discouraging outcomes and inevitable problems, the research shows that the Youth Guarantee Program has produced some positive and unexpected results, regarding impacts on beneficiaries and the institutional strengthening of employment services.