Noting a slight progress in education from 2011 to 2016, the report claims that this young generation of Roma and Travellers may achieve better employment outcomes, which will prove indispensable for intergenerational social mobility. However, it also ties living in severely deprived housing, at-risk-of-poverty or in residentially segregated areas to lower levels of education, which emphasises the need for better integration policies focused on holistic inclusion. In addition, gender is posited as another barrier – empowering Roma women and removing existing barriers to their employment opportunities is therefore a priority. Lastly, education can strongly predict employment, with skills and knowledge associated with upper secondary education and higher being linked to more successful transitions from education to employment.

The report concludes that marginalisation and poverty affect employment opportunities in several ways. Poverty is eminently tied to this reality and it can lead to a waste of human capital, with discrimination also affecting educational and employment outcomes, but reportedly less strongly than expected.

Inclusive education is accordingly a powerful tool to target inter-generational and social exclusion. If more inclusive practices and policies are adopted in schools, early-drop out and under-achievement can be addressed, thereby boosting educational attainment and access of Roma and Traveller children to quality employment opportunities. This is a reality to which INSCHOOL is trying to contribute.

Link to the report: http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2018/roma-education-to-employment