Although youth mobility is not a new phenomenon, the scale and the nature of the migration of young people in Europe, and globally, has changed significantly in recent years, and especially since the 2008+ economic crisis. The work carried out can be summarized as follows:
• A review and finalization of the main questions, definitions, typologies and theoretical approaches concerning international youth mobility and life transitions in Europe
• The creation of an original dataset with secondary data concerning youth migration in Europe, with special reference to the 9 YMOBILITY countries
• The design and testing of ad hoc methodologies for collecting primary data and information in the nine YMOBILITY countries;
• The implementation of an on-line panel survey which has provided 30,018 completed on-line questionnaires
• The implementation of 843 in-depth interviews
• The implementation of experimental research methods on decision-making about future migration involving 540 individuals
• A detailed analysis of the results obtained concerning the following aspects affecting individuals, spaces, and places: (i) information, sources, and channels of migration; (ii) migrant subjects and migration experiences, also in terms of social inclusion; (iii) contribution of the migration to the formation of human capital and to the transitions from youth to full adulthood; (iv) return and circular migration; (v) effects of youth mobility on population development; (vi) on labor markets; (vii) on regional development
• An analysis of the migration intentions of young persons and the definition of possible migration scenarios concerning young persons in the 9 YMOBILITY countries
• The definition of appropriate policies for youth mobility in the EU space.
The main results reached can be summarized as follow:
• A comprehensive overview and quantification of the main types of youth mobility in the EU, including the geography of flows among the 9 YMOBILITY countries, and the socio-economic-demographic characteristics of the mobile students, higher-skilled and lower-skilled workers
• Appropriate methodologies (a large-scale panel on-line survey, in-depth interviews in destinations and regions of return, and experimental complex decision-making methods) for exploring aspects of youth mobility and life transitions that cannot be studied through existing secondary data have been defined, designed, and implemented
• The main acquisitions of the young migrants linked to their international mobility, and the main territorial consequences and effects of youth mobility have been assessed
• A model for describing migration patterns and intentions of young persons in the 9 YMOBILITY countries was created and future scenarios for mobility/migration patterns were designed
• Policy analyses (of) and recommendations (for) youth mobility in the EU were provided at different territorial scales.
Moreover, the project has carried out extensive dissemination and communication activities:
• 18 Articles in daily newspapers
• 14 Interviews on radio/TV
• A series of 15 YMOBILITY movies
• 30 publications in peer reviewed scientific journals, plus 31 submitted/accepted/in preparation
• 66 conferences/congresses participation with 101 papers
• 12 meetings with secondary schools and students
• 7 regional/national meetings with stakeholders
• Establishment of an End Users Board (14 members), aiming at evaluating project progresses, giving contribution and feedback, verifying the usability of project outputs and paving the way for the long-term adoption of project results.
