Essentials
... are inspired by the triangle of governance of the youth field, namely:
Youth research: developing knowledge on youth to better understand current and upcoming challenges and trends in the lives of young people, and their implications for youth policy and youth work.
Youth policy: informing youth policy by offering relevant evidence, knowledge, and building capacity of the youth policy actors.
Youth work: promoting and strengthening youth work and recognition of its contribution to, inter alia, youth participation and social inclusion of young people.
Youth Research Essentials
Research on youth is becoming increasingly recognised as an indispensable companion of effective, impactful policy and practice.
To make it more accessible and better understood, this short text, written by members of the Pool of European Youth Researchers, co-ordinated by the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership, aspires to help the reader gain a better and immediate understanding of the purpose, scope and usefulness of research on youth. It also describes how various stakeholders in the youth field, and beyond, can make use of youth research. It does not intend to present the state of contemporary youth research, nor showcase youth research projects, but focuses on addressing specific questions such as: What is youth research? What are the theoretical influences of youth research? Why do we need youth research?
It is the authors’ wish, through this publication, to make research on youth closer and more accessible to all actors in the youth field in Europe and beyond.
Youth Policy Essentials
How can policies enable young people to be active citizens? How can they support young people to be included in society and to realise their aspirations and potential? This overview of the main concepts, principles, and challenges of youth policy is meant to help answer these questions.
A word of caution: youth policy is complex. We invite the reader to consider their own context, which may be more complex and even more complicated! Much more has been written, discussed and debated on youth policy than is included in this document, so if your journey brought you here, we hope it will not stop here! We invite you to continue using the references included in these “Essentials” and the website of the Partnership between the European Commission and the Council of Europe in the field of youth.
Youth Work Essentials
This third issue of “Essentials” closes the exploration of the youth sector triangle of governance, featuring the pillar of youth work practice.
What is youth work and how is it defined? Who is involved in it and what are its benefits for young people? Where does youth work happen and based on which principles? What are the policies, programmes and funding that recognise it and support its quality development?
This issue zooms in on the essential features of youth work that need to be in place for it to have a wider and more enduring impact on the lives of young people across Europe. It does so by giving a general illustration of the main features of youth work in Europe and by offering tips on European standards, resources, networks and programmes that contribute to a better environment and experience of youth work at all levels.