This section of the Visible Value aims to provide a quick overview of the state of the affairs about the recognition of youth work in the countries covered by EU-CoE Youth Partnership. In total it covers 53 country profiles (including 3 profiles for Belgium and 4 profiles for the UK).

The content in this section is based on several sources, including:

The sources of information are indicated at the end of each profile.

Back Luxembourg

Youth work in Luxembourg includes professional youth work provided mainly by youth workers in youth centres and voluntary youth work provided mainly by youth organisations. This means that youth work is delivered by paid as well as unpaid and volunteer youth workers. Generally, youth work is based on non-formal and informal learning processes focused on young people and on voluntary participation. The main objectives of youth work in Luxembourg include: (1) Promotion of social integration of young people, (2) Organisation of leisure activities, (3) Promotion of the political participation in a democratic society.

There is no legal framework for the profession of youth work per se. The professional background of youth workers ranges from educators with a secondary education diploma (with specialisation in education or health; university graduates with a bachelor's or master's degree e.g. in the field of educational/social science or psychology). The bachelor's degree in educational and social sciences ('Bachelor en sciences sociales et éducatives') offered by the University of Luxembourg is an important bachelor programme for students who desire to work with young people. Although no legal framework exists for the profession of youth work, professionals working with young people have to fulfil basic requirements with regard to educational degrees/diplomas. The requirements are defined by the 1999 grand-ducal regulation. Article 17 of this law calls for certain educational qualifications. Applicants must hold a Luxembourgish or equivalent foreign degree as a (among others) lawyer, psychologist, pedagogue, sociologist, curative educator, occupational therapist, social worker, social hygiene assistant, or teacher. Volunteers also have to fulfil specific qualification requirements (certificate for assistant facilitators ('brevet aide animateur') or its equivalent).

Political recognition of professional youth work has been strengthened over the past decades by the legislation framework and the laws adopted. Non-formal education was strengthened especially by the revised 2016 Youth Law and the 2017 grand-ducal regulation on the introduction of a national framework on non-formal education of children and young people. These legislations introduced a monitoring system for institutions of non-formal education (e.g. local youth centres) and define the objectives of non-formal education.

The formal recognition of non-formal education and learning in youth work is specified in the 2009 grand-ducal regulation on Youth. The National Youth Service is in charge of the recognition procedure. Furthermore, the 2010 grand-ducal regulation defines the validation of non-formal and informal learning procedure ('validation des acquis de l'expérience – VAE'). Furthermore, the certificate is an online tool that allows non-profit organisations to award their participants a certificate of competences. The tool is available to any organisation, club or institution offering training courses, projects or other activities on a regular basis. It is based on pre-defined skills and thereby fosters not only the skills' recognition, but also the development of a consistent definition of the various kinds of skills in youth workers.

(From the Youth Wiki)