In this section you will explore:

  • What makes youth work particularly significant?
  • What is the purpose of the advocacy kit for youth work?
  • What is the current momentum for youth work development and recognition in Europe?
  • Why ‘urgency’ of advocacy for youth work?

 

 Introduction: The significance of youth work

 

“I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an 
advocate for myself and others like me.”

— Maya Angelou

 

Youth work plays a crucial role in fostering the personal, social, and educational development of young people. It empowers them to become active citizens, supports their transition to adulthood, and provides a safe space for them to explore their identity, develop skills, and engage with their communities. As societies across Europe and beyond face numerous challenges - from social inequality to the digital divide - youth work becomes even more essential in ensuring that young people are equipped to navigate these complexities.

Youth work is a catalyst for transformation, impacting not just individuals, but also communities and societies in profound ways. It empowers young people to develop the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to navigate life’s complexities and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Through youth work, young people find safe spaces to explore their identities, build relationships, and take on active roles in shaping the world around them.

 

The impact of youth work is manifolded:



At the individual level, youth work supports personal development, nurtures self-confidence, and equips young people with critical life skills, including leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving.

At the community level, youth work fosters social cohesion by bridging divides, encouraging civic engagement, and inspiring collective action.

At the societal level, youth work contributes to addressing major challenges, such as combating inequality, ensuring democratic values and promoting active citizenship.

 

 Purpose of the A-Kit

The urgency of advocacy: Bridging policy and practice

Despite its transformative impact, at local and national levels, youth work is often overlooked, underfunded, and insufficiently recognized. To create lasting and resilient youth work structures across Europe, those within the youth work community of practice are best placed to engage in assertive and strategic advocacy. Youth work needs resources, recognition, and alignment with policies that reflect its value to individuals and society. Advocating for youth work helps amplify the stories of lives changed by youth work and highlights its measurable contributions at individual, community and societal levels.

The purpose of this Advocacy Kit (A-kit) is to equip and support the community of youth work practice, such as youth workers, youth organisations, policymakers, and community stakeholders, with the tools and knowledge necessary to advocate for the recognition and development of youth work.

 

The A-Kit aims to:

 

Bridge the gap and advocate for recognition: Help connect high-level policies with the everyday realities of youth work in different countries and enhance the recognition, support, and visibility of youth work at local, national, and international levels. The A-Kit offers practical tools and resources to turn policies into actions that can lead to the recognition of Youth Work.

 

 


 

Highlight the importance of youth work: Underline the critical role of youth work in the life of young people and in community and societal developments, particularly having in mind both contextual specificities and global trends.

 

 


Demonstrate the value and impact of youth work: Provide tools and guidance to showcase the impact and outcomes of youth work, highlighting its contributions to individual development, social and community well-being and cohesion. By illustrating the value of youth work through data, success stories, best practices and measurable results, the A-Kit helps to build a strong case for sustained support and investment.

 


Empower youth work community of practice: Empower those involved in youth work to effectively advocate for their needs, whether that’s gaining recognition for the youth work and the impact of their work at the individual (self-recognition), social, formal and political level; influencing youth and youth work policy; or/and securing funding for youth work.

 

 


Foster collaboration: Encourage youth work community of practice communication with and collaboration across different sectors, including education, health, and social services. The A-Kit provides communication guidelines to support efforts of cross-sectoral collaboration contributing to the creation of a supportive ecosystem for youth work.

 

 


Strengthening youth work through policy engagement: The A-Kit aims to encourage youth workers, organisations, and young people to engage with policymakers and advocate for policies that support and enhance youth work. By doing so, it helps to create a more supportive environment for youth work to thrive and ensures it serves its purpose for young people.

 

 

 

This A-Kit is not just a resource, it is a call to action!

The A-kit presents tools for amplifying the voices of youth workers and all those who work with young people. It contributes in practical terms to ensuring that youth work receives the attention and resources it deserves. The A-kit equips youth workers and youth work organisations, as well as allies with the tools to make a compelling case for youth work, grounded in evidence, inspired by stories, and targeted to engage relevant stakeholders.

The A-kit brings the notion that the youth work sector can secure the investment, partnerships, and policy changes needed to thrive by advocating effectively for it. This is not just about sustaining youth work, it’s about unleashing its full potential as a transformative factor in the lives of individual young people and as a driver of social change, equity, and empowerment.

 

 The current moment: Understanding the need for the A-Kit

In recent years and over the past decade, significant developments in youth policy across Europe have underscored the importance of youth work. These policies recognise youth work as an essential component of the broader youth policy framework, which aims to support young people in their personal, social, and professional development. A detailed list with links to these documents can be found at https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/advocacy-tools and QR code action card, though here we are highlighting some of the most significant developments:

  • The EU Youth Strategy (2019-2027): The EU Youth Strategy is a flagship policy that guides youth work and youth policy across Europe. It focuses on three key areas: Engage, Connect, and Empower. The strategy emphasizes the importance of meaningful youth participation in all aspects of society, including political, social, and economic life. It also highlights the need for cross-sectoral cooperation to address the multifaceted challenges young people face. 
  • Council of Europe’s Youth Sector Strategy 2030: This long-term strategy, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, underscores the significance of youth work as part of broader efforts to promote social cohesion, democracy, and human rights. It focuses on increasing youth participation, addressing inequalities, and enhancing the resilience and autonomy of young people. Youth work is identified as a key tool to achieve these objectives, particularly through non-formal education and peer-to-peer learning.
  • The European Youth Work Agenda (EYWA): Adopted in 2020, the EYWA is a strategic framework designed to strengthen the quality and recognition of youth work across Europe. It calls for greater investment in youth work, improved training and professional development for youth workers, and the promotion of youth work as a means of fostering social inclusion and active citizenship. The EYWA also stresses the importance of ensuring that youth work is accessible to all young people, regardless of their background or circumstances. The implementation of European Youth Work Agenda was launched to implement the agenda's objectives at local, regional, national, and European levels. This process focuses on creating enabling environments for youth work, enhancing the competences of youth workers, and promoting the participation of young people in decision-making processes. It is a crucial step in ensuring that the goals of the EYWA are translated into tangible actions and outcomes.
  • Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on youth work policy in an empowering Europe: Council Resolution adopted by the Council of the European Union and representatives of the government of the Member States on 13 May 2024 addressing the role of youth work in supporting young people to become more autonomous within new realities. The Resolution calls on Member States, the European Commission and relevant stakeholders to support the development and practice of quality youth work and youth work policy at EU, national and local levels, including through comprehensive youth work policies, bottom-up approaches, training of youth workers and by ensuring enabling environments and equal access to youth work for all young people.
  • Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 on Youth Work: This landmark recommendation adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe provides a clear policy framework for the development of youth work across member states. It calls for the recognition, support, and further development of youth work by national governments and relevant stakeholders. The recommendation emphasizes the need for professional and volunteer youth workers to receive quality training and to be given adequate resources to perform their roles effectively.

Despite these positive developments, there is still a significant gap between the aspirations of youth policies and grassroots realities. Youth work is often underfunded, undervalued, and misunderstood by policymakers and the public, lacking in many countries recognition on political, formal and social levels. This can limit the effectiveness of youth work and undermine its potential to bring about positive change. One of the practical answers to addressing such a gap is equipping the youth work community of practice with a contextually adaptive Advocacy kit!