
Because of the economic crisis, which has arisen in 2008, we are today facing a global challenge of youth unemployment. Due to difficulties in gaining a foothold in the labour market, young people are now the group at highest risk of social exclusion in Europe.
In contemporary societies engagement in the labour market and education represents not only a possibility for accumulating human, social and economic capital, but also an access to a number of activities, which all influence an individual’s skills, abilities and social standing. On the contrary, young people who are disengaged from the labour market and education are therefore more likely to be excluded from relationships and social networks created in the work or educational environment. Such exclusion often results in psychological distress, such as loneliness, feeling powerless or useless, anxiety and even depression.