Youth Policy

Youth Work

Youth work provides opportunities for young people to shape their own futures. It is a broad term covering a large scale of activities of a social, cultural, educational or political nature, but also sports and services for young people. Youth work is also a space for young people to come together and associate. Youth work has an impact on young people's life and helps them to reach their full potential. It contributes to their personal development, but also facilitates social and educational development. It enables them to develop their voice, influence and place in society.

Some examples of youth work activities:

youth exchange
voluntary service in a human rights organisation
working camps (picking berries, weeding, selling ice-cream…)
leisure-cultural activities (workshops, cultural events, Drama club, reading circle, sport activities)
group trainings, courses for developing key competences, communication skills, project management skills, conflict resolution techniques, cooperation abilities
peer support those young people who face unemployment
movie producing teaching
after-school clubs
attending a youth centre
long-term membership of a youth organisation
membership of a youth wings of political parties

Promoting the potential of young people

Youth work is based on non-formal learning processes and comprises any form of intentional learning and acquisition of skills and competences in out-of-school setting and is delivered by e.g. youth organisations and other non-governmental organisations, town halls, youth centres or churches. The participation in youth work activities is voluntary and learning is linked to a young person's interests and aspirations. Youth work can help deal with unemployment, school failure, and social exclusion, as well as provide leisure time. It can also increase skills and support the transition from youth to adulthood.

Youth work is managed by professional or voluntary youth workers and youth leaders. The new EU Youth Strategy for the first time addresses youth work as a profession and youth workers as a particular target group.

Hence youth work contributes to achieve the overall objectives of the European cooperation in the field of youth. Therefore there is a strong need to strengthen the efforts for social and formal recognition of non-formal and informal learning in youth work activities.

Youth workers have to be equipped with the necessary knowledge, tools and skills to balance the relevant interests and motivations of young people. Youth workers today are increasingly confronted with the needs of youth with poor career prospects, motivation and marginalisation due to unemployment or any other form of social exclusion.

There is also a need to strengthen the awareness of key persons, institutions and of young people themselves of the value of youth work, and the development of effective and flexible ways of validation and recognition is required.