Estonia's Unemployment Insurance Fund Reorganizes Youth Services Without Expanding Staff
Estonia's Unemployment Insurance Fund will introduce 60 youth consultants by November without additional funding or staff increases, reallocating existing resources.
Estonia's Unemployment Insurance Fund (Töötukassa) plans to launch a youth consultant service with 60 consultants across all branches by November 1. These consultants will assist young people under 24 who lack vocational education in finding employment, choosing a career, or continuing their studies. The fund emphasized that no new staff will be hired and no extra budget will be requested; the project will be implemented through reallocation of existing resources.
According to Keti Vivian Vahi, Head of Youth Services Development at the Fund, current employees have shown strong interest in the youth consultant role. Therefore, internal candidates will be considered first. If necessary, external specialists may also be recruited.
Vahi noted that youth unemployment has become an increasingly serious challenge in recent years, and the goal is to use resources more effectively. All planned activities for this year will be carried out within the approved budget.
The youth consultant role represents a new approach to client support, with more time per client, more frequent meetings, and a focus on practical assistance. Consultants will help young people with resume writing, job searching, and even visit companies together to explore different professions and real work environments.
A pilot project is already running in Pärnu, Järva, and Rapla counties. Participants have praised the individual approach and practical help with job seeking.
By 2029, the Fund aims for at least 30% of adolescents aged 13–17 to receive at least one day of official work annually. Additionally, at least 70% of first-time jobseekers under 24 should find a job, return to studies, complete an internship, or undergo vocational training within six months, with at least 55% entering employment.
Currently, around 6,000 unemployed people under 24 are registered in Estonia, with about 65% lacking vocational education. This group is the primary target of the new youth consultant service.
