The EU Council Resolution on Youth Work and its Implications for “Priorities for Youth”

Maurice Devlin

Jean Monnet Professor Centre for Youth Research and Development NUI Maynooth

Background

Legal basis for EU action on youth:

 ‘joint programme for the exchange of young workers’ (Treaty of Rome, 1957)  ‘youth exchanges and exchanges of socio educational instructors [youth workers]’ (Treaty of Maastricht, 1992)  ‘encouraging the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe’ (Treaty of Lisbon, 2009)

White Paper:

A New Impetus for European Youth

(2001)

Four themes, all relating to ‘active citizenship’  Participation  Information  Voluntary services  Better understanding of youth Use of OMC (Open Method of Coordination) for youth sector

European Commission Strategy Proposals -

Investing and Empowering

(2009)

Eight fields of action clustered under three headings:  Creating more

opportunities

in education and employment  Improving

access

and participation  Fostering

solidarity

between society and young people A new role for youth work: ‘Youth work contributes to all fields of action and their identified objectives.’

Council Resolution for Renewed Cooperation in the Youth Field 2010-2018

Two overall objectives:

 Create more and equal opportunities for all young people in education and in the labour market;  Promote the active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity of all young people

Council Resolution for Renewed Cooperation in the Youth Field 2010-2018

Eight fields of action:

 Education & training  Employment and entrepreneurship  Health and well-being  Participation  Voluntary activities  Social inclusion  Youth and the world  Creativity and culture

Council Resolution for Renewed Cooperation in the Youth Field 2010-2018

‘Under this framework of cooperation, supporting and developing youth work should be regarded as cross-sectoral issues…Youth work belongs to the area of “out-of-school” education, as well as specific leisure time activities managed by professional or voluntary youth workers and youth leaders and is based on non-formal learning processes and on voluntary participation.’

Council Resolution for Renewed Cooperation in the Youth Field 2010-2018

Renewed Framework to be implemented through 3-year work cycles Thematic priorities for each 18-month period EU Youth Report at end of each cycle

Council Resolution for Renewed Cooperation in the Youth Field 2010-2018

Structured Dialogue with Young People [first introduced in 2005 resolution] • ‘The themes of the structured dialogue should be aligned with the overall objectives of European cooperation in the youth field and the priorities for each work cycle…The dialogue should be as inclusive as possible and developed at local, regional, national and EU level and include youth researchers and those active in youth work.’ Member States encouraged to establish National Working Group representing constituencies within the sector

Council Resolution on Youth Work 2010

Arising from and/or influenced by • EU Strategy & Renewed Framework • Other EU resolutions, recommendations and decisions on youth, mobility, volunteering, poverty, social inclusion, unemployment • Youth policies of the Council of Europe • 1 st European Youth Work Convention, Ghent (Belgium), July 2010 Guiding principles • Reference to ‘gender equality and combating all forms of discrimination’, EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, ‘universal values regarding human rights, democracy, peace, anti-racism, cultural diversity, solidarity, equality and sustainable development’

Council Resolution on Youth Work 2010

Nature of youth work: ‘In all the Member States, countless children and young people, youth workers and youth leaders coming from different backgrounds, participate in, benefit from or are active in a rich and diverse range of youth work activities. These activities can take place in many contexts addressing different issues that affect their lives and the realities in which they live.’

Council Resolution on Youth Work 2010

Nature of youth work (continued): ‘Youth work takes place in the extra-curricular area, as well as through specific leisure time activities, and is based on non-formal and informal learning processes and on voluntary participation. These activities and processes are self-managed, co-managed or managed under educational and pedagogical guidance by either professional or voluntary youth workers and youth leaders and can develop and be subject to changes caused by different dynamics.’

Council Resolution on Youth Work 2010

Nature of youth work (continued). Varies according to:  context (community, history, society, policy)  concern to include and empower all young people  Role of paid/volunteer youth workers  types of organisation (govt/non-govt; youth/adult led)  method and approach  role of local and regional authorities

Council Resolution on Youth Work 2010

Contribution of youth work: • Provides ‘comfortable, safe, inspirational and pleasant environment’ • Creates space for young people to ‘express themselves, learn from each other, meet each other, play, explore and experiment’ • Promotes participation, engagement, active citizenship • Strengthens community building and civil society at all levels • Develops creativity, awareness, entrepreneurship and innovation • Provides opportunities for social inclusion of all; reach those with fewer opportunities • Complements formal education; contribute to other youth-related policy areas • Supports economic development, create employment

Council Resolution on Youth Work 2010

Invites action on part of • Member States (sustainable support; implement renewed framework; involve relevant actors and authorities) • European Commission (study youth work; support NGOs; enhance quality, capacity and mobility; develop tools and platforms for research, policy and practice) • Both MSs and Commission (create better conditions; raise awareness; develop quality and capacity; promote employability, mobility and recognition of qualifications and skills; promote research and information, exchange and cooperation; develop systematic assessment of skills and competences for training.

• Civil society (accessibility, diversity of training, evaluation, innovation, cooperation and networking)