The workshop offers a strategic overview of building sustainable, professional youth work systems using Malta as a context. It supports the development of formal youth work structures by developing a university-level training, a national agency, and quality standards. It also addresses the strengthening of volunteer-based youth work through tools such as self-assessment frameworks and targeted training. The workshop promotes coherent national frameworks grounded in long-term thinking and cross-sector collaboration.

This workshop presents a tool for trauma-informed youth work, developed by the Council of Europe’s Youth for Democracy in Ukraine project. The approach also integrates video testimonies from the “Voices of Young People in Ukraine” initiative, which amplifies the experiences of young people from five regions of Ukraine, highlighting the impact of war on their lives. The workshop will explore how similar multimedia tools can raise awareness and support trauma-informed practices in youth work.

This workshop highlights the creation and operation of the Youth Centre Probishtip, a municipal youth centre initiated and managed by young people in North Macedonia. It is the only such centre in the country’s eastern region and is sustained through annual municipal funding. The centre offers a range of programmes, including workshops and creative events, that promote youth participation and community engagement. The workshop will present this youth-led, community-supported youth work model as an example of strong local-level collaboration.

In 2024, Latvia approved the Youth Worker Occupational Standard, developed in collaboration with stakeholders and supported by the Council of Europe. This standard outlines six core competencies, including youth participation and project implementation. It reflects European values and enhances the professionalisation of the youth work field. The workshop will share insights from this process and its alignment with broader youth work policy frameworks.

This workshop introduces a framework to support youth workers in navigating ethical dilemmas while maintaining integrity, professionalism, and accountability. It emphasises the importance of providing youth with safe, respectful, and inclusive environments and equips participants with practical tools for upholding ethical standards in complex contexts.

This workshop explores reflective supervision as a powerful practice for growth and resilience. Moving beyond performance checklists, participants will engage in a shared reflection to experience supervision as a supportive process. This session invites participants to reflect on the past in the present to shape the future, nurturing a workforce that thrives through intention and thoughtful consideration.

This session shares Luxembourg's national strategy for reinforcing the identity and visibility of the youth sector. Led by the National Youth Service, the initiative promotes eight strategic slogans unified under the shared vision, “Jonker staark maachen.” The workshop will present the strategy’s development, implementation process, and benefits, offering reflections for youth, professionals and policymakers on better communicating the value of youth work and creating a more cohesive and visible youth sector.

This workshop introduces MLADIM.si, a digital tool developed by the Youth Network MaMa in Slovenia to monitor the quality and effectiveness of youth work. The platform enables youth organisations and NGOS to document outcomes and analyse data, supporting transparency and impact assessment. Developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana and supported by the Ministry of Public Administration, this tool provides a replicable model for other national contexts. The workshop will demonstrate the platform’s features and benefits for quality assurance in youth work.

This workshop showcases how youth work in Malta meaningfully intersects with the arts to empower young people and foster cultural participation. It highlights the value of youth workers’ involvement in impactful artistic experiences with and for young people. Through real-life examples and practitioner insights, participants will explore how this approach strengthens the wider youth work ecosystem and can inspire similar initiatives across Europe.

This workshop explores the innovative efforts of Ninfea, a professional association in Italy, to formally recognise youth workers. Since 2020, Ninfea has collaborated with national and regional institutions to validate and certify the competencies of youth workers through a structured framework. As a professional order recognised by the Ministry of Economic Development, Ninfea advocates for formalising youth work experience into accredited professional profiles. The workshop targets youth workers, researchers, and policymakers interested in pathways to professional recognition.

This workshop presents a series of youth work programmes developed by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ’s Community and Outreach Unit in collaboration with the Directorate of Education, following the introduction of VOTE 16 in Malta. The initiatives aim to strengthen civic engagement among young people by addressing themes such as democracy, environmental awareness, debating, and civic participation. Designed to offer a holistic and sustainable youth work approach in schools, the programmes promote informed and active participation in democratic life. The workshop will highlight how this model fosters long-term collaboration between youth workers and educators while empowering young people to become resilient and proactive citizens.

This workshop examines the impact of youth work, drawing on research and consultations conducted by De Ambrassade, the Flemish Bureau for Youth Affairs. Rather than seeking rigid definitions, the initiative identified shared values and strengths that make youth work effective. The resulting “Impact Framework” introduces a common language, encompassing the DNA of youth work, its mission, and key outcomes. It serves as a reference for youth workers, young people, and policymakers to understand, communicate, and invest in the value of youth work.

This workshop presents Youth Work for All, a rights-based participatory campaign by Youth Work Ireland that mobilises young people, youth workers, researchers, and policymakers to advocate for the importance of youth work. Built on collaboration and co-production, the campaign engages diverse voices—youth activists, volunteers, staff, and board members—to push for greater recognition, support, and investment in youth work. The session will explore the movement’s strategies for building alliances and shaping national policies that include all young people.

This workshop introduces the Respect Charter developed by the wannseeFORUM Foundation, a Council of Europe Quality Label Centre. The Charter defines core ethical values and promotes respectful, democratic interaction among young people, staff, and guests. Participants will be guided through the process of developing a Respect Charter within their organisations, from identifying shared values to embedding them in daily practice. The workshop offers experience on  participatory methods that foster a culture of dialogue, empathy, and democratic engagement, particularly in response to the growing questioning of human rights and democratic values.

This workshop presents a holistic quality development model from Sweden, based on measurable long-term aims, continuous data gathering from young people, and annual analysis. Used by over 64 municipalities, it integrates youth workers, managers, public administrations, and political levels in a comprehensive cycle of improvement. The system fosters participation, learning, and inclusion, with international adaptations in Slovenia, Finland, Lithuania, Ireland, and Italy, offering a robust foundation for mutual learning across Europe.

This workshop investigates how AI tools can enhance inclusive and accessible communication in youth work. Participants will explore practical applications of AI, such as automated captioning and alternative text generation, to ensure digital content is accessible to all young people. Eurodesk will showcase tools like Altydesk and will provide insights into ethical and strategic AI use. The workshop will equip youth workers with the knowledge to improve information accessibility and ensure that digital communication meets the needs of diverse audiences.

This workshop invites participants to reflect on emerging trends in youth work based on findings from the Futures of Youth Work foresight research. It explores the changing landscape of youth work and the need to adapt to complex societal shifts. Participants will engage in future-oriented discussions, consider questions relevant to their contexts, and explore how their communities can prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead. The workshop fosters critical thinking about the evolving role of youth work.

This workshop highlights the work of Awero and its partners in developing a modular training and recognition framework for youth workers across Europe, grounded in the European Training Strategy (ETS). The initiative supports international competence development as a complement to national training systems. The training offer is based on the ETS competence model and aims to enhance youth workers' learning, visibility, and recognition. The workshop will present the tools and collaborative efforts behind this European initiative.

This workshop critically reflects the Youth Participation Strategy (YPS), which was developed in line with the EU Youth Strategy. It promotes the meaningful participation of young people—especially those with fewer opportunities—in democratic life through the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. Led by a diverse steering group, the strategy has been under review throughout 2024. The workshop offers space to assess implementation, explore the following steps, and discuss how youth participation principles can strengthen policy development and monitoring.

This workshop introduces the European Youth Information Quality Label, developed under the Council of Europe–ERYICA Partnership Agreement. The label responds to young people's demand for reliable information amid widespread misinformation. It is awarded to youth information services committed to quality and trustworthiness, aligning with the European Youth Information Charter. The initiative enhances recognition of youth information providers and promotes credibility, especially in the digital age. The workshop will explain the label’s development, implementation, and impact.

This workshop presents the strategic cooperation project Europe Goes Local, which aims to support local youth work stakeholders in developing policies and practices. Central to the initiative is the European Charter on Local Youth Work, a guiding document for quality youth work, and the Changemakers Kit, an online toolkit fostering dialogue and reflection among local actors. The session incluime des a simulation exercise to explore how these tools can promote collaboration and quality improvement in youth work.

This workshop presents the work of AYWA, the European Alliance of National Youth Worker Associations, which promotes advocacy, collaboration, and professional development in youth work. Participants will learn about the alliance’s activities, including joint training, research, and policy advocacy. The workshop highlights how AYWA strengthens youth workers’ voices in European policymaking, improves working conditions, and fosters innovation. Through exchange and discussion, participants will explore AYWA’s role in shaping a more recognised and sustainable youth work field.

This workshop presents EaT SNAC, a strategic partnership between National Agencies for Erasmus+ Youth and the European Solidarity Corps focused on improving education and training for youth workers. Since 2022, the initiative has aimed at systemic impact through recognising competencies, supporting professional identity development, and fostering European collaboration. Topics covered include civic and political education, reflective practice, and integrating national and European strategies. The session will highlight the partnership’s approach to strengthening quality through shared frameworks and dialogue.

Description:
This workshop invites participants to reflect on the progress made in strengthening youth work across Europe,  five years after the launch of the European Youth Work Agenda (EYWA),  Drawing on new data from the 2023–2025 surveys, the session highlights key lessons, national success stories, and ongoing challenges. Through a dynamic format combining research presentation, panel discussion, and interactive group work, participants will explore how countries have developed sustainable youth work structures, the role of stakeholder collaboration, and strategies for enhancing recognition and advocacy at national level.

This workshop offers an opportunity to exchange on developing recognition strategies within the participants' own contexts. It will be based on the handbook "Unlocking Doors to Recognition", currently under revision, which guides users through the process of creating a recognition strategy for youth work or non-formal learning. Additional resources developed by the SALTO Training and Cooperation Resource Centre will also be presented, supporting youth work stakeholders who aim to strengthen the recognition dimension of their practices.

The European Commission needs your input. In this interactive workshop, you will have the opportunity to influence the next EU Youth Strategy,  and especially the parts focusing on youth work. The workshop is part of a listening process run by the European Commission to gather ideas and suggestions in the work of preparing the Commission’s proposal for the post 2027 EU Youth Strategy.  

Quality youth work and the quality of youth work are key elements of promoting youth work. Based on a recent study, the workshop will examine different tools for promoting and managing the quality of youth work in 15 European countries. Key challenges, such as integrating customer/youth perspectives, are also discussed. The participants are also welcome to present their own examples.

This workshop will introduce two new resources from the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership, designed to inspire and equip youth workers, leaders, and changemakers:

• Toolkit for Youth Work Advocacy – offering strategic guidance for national-level youth work development, along with methods for self-reflection and effective advocacy planning.
• T-Kit 3 on Project Management (revised edition) – intended for those initiating their first projects or looking to enhance their ability to design and manage youth projects effectively.

The workshop will provide space for an exchange with participants on the themes of advocacy and project management.

This workshop is all about discovering the revised 2025 edition of the Council of Europe Youth Work Portfolio and to see how it can enhance your youth work practice or provision.The Council of Europe Youth Work Portfolio supports youth work community of practice  in assessing and developing competencies and programme quality. It serves as a standard by setting benchmarks and aiding recognition of youth work across Europe. As a self and organisational assessment tool, it defines key competencies to measure quality. It promotes lifelong learning and reinforces youth work’s civic mission—democracy, human rights, and inclusion. 

This workshop explores initiatives by the Council of Europe to enhance the inclusion of youth perspectives in policymaking processes. It presents tools, strategies, and good practices that strengthen the voice of young people in decision-making at local, national, and European levels. Participants will engage in discussions on how to embed youth participation systematically and sustainably within democratic governance frameworks.