1. The Fundamental Importance of Youth Work Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on Youth Work Ms Antje Rothemund, Head of the Youth Department
30/04/2019

2. Introduction
A vision for youth work for Europe: aims to broadly recognize and support youth work
Adopted by the CM on 31 May 2017
18-months drafting process
Definition of Youth Work “social practice working with young people and the societies in which they live, facilitating young people’s active participation and inclusion in their communities and in decision making”

3. Content of the Recommendation
Preamble
Scope and purpose of the Recommendation
Definition and scope of youth work
Principles
Measures
Recommendations to Member States
Explanatory memorandum
Glossary

4. Drafting Process Process lasted 18 months
December 2015: Joint Council on Youth (CMJ) Consultative Meeting on the draft recommendation
Beginning of 2016: Creation of a Drafting Group (4 CDEJ members, 3 CCJ members, a representative of the European Youth Forum (YFJ), 6 representatives of youth work organisations, 1 representative of the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA), and the General Rapporteur for the 2nd European Youth Work Convention)
Throughout 2016:
Continuous exchange of feedback and advice between the drafting group and the CMJ.
Continuous consultation of the drafting group with CoE bodies and stakeholders in the field
Beginning of 2017: Draft Recommendation is ready

5. Why a recommendation on youth work and why now?
Young people as a force for good and not as a problem to be solved
Transitions for young people more challenging than in the past
Youth prospects nowadays precarious, uncertain and insecure
Access to youth work is unequal and variable across Europe
Young people need a “package” of enabling and formative experiences in addition to formal schooling to both make effective transition to adulthood and play an active part in civil society and the labour market youth work provides this “package” through non-formal learning.

6. Why a recommendation on youth work and why now? (continuation)
Youth work is fundamental in the 21st century, it provides:
Space for young people
Commitment to support bridges for personal development
Urgent need of developing quality youth network equally and uniformly all over Europe

7. Recommendations to member States
Establishment/further development of quality youth work to be safeguarded; pro-actively supported within local, regional or national youth policies
Establishment of a coherent and flexible competency-based framework for the education and training of paid and volunteer youth workers
Support for the initiative of the CoE’s youth sector to set up an ad hoc high-level taskforce of the relevant stakeholders in youth work in Europe
Fostering of national and European research on the different forms of youth work and their value, impact and merit
Support of the development of appropriate forms of evaluation of the outcomes of youth work; reinforcement of dissemination and impact of CoE Youth Work Portfolio
Promotion of CoE Quality Label for Youth Centres
Contemplation of measures and principles proposed in Appendix

8. Principles (appendix)
Design and delivery of youth work are underpinned by:
Voluntary and active participation
Equality of access
Openness and flexibility
Youth work should be:
rights-based
inclusive
youth-centred

9. Two specific measures (appendix)
1. Establishment/further development of quality youth work is safeguarded; pro-actively supported within local, regional or national youth policies
Appropriate environment and conditions for youth work practices
Dual approach: facilitation of cross-sectoral cooperation between youth work and other sectors
Promotion of co-ordination between local, regional, national and European levels of youth work
Promotion of the importance of participating and delivering youth work
Promotion of equal access to youth work
Fostering of knowledge – research, experience and practice
Subsidiarity: respect of freedom of youth organizations and NGOs doing youth work

10. Two specific measures (appendix)
2. Establishment of a coherent and flexible competency-based framework for the education and training of paid and volunteer youth workers
Development of a set of expected core competences of youth workers with relevant stakeholders
Establishment of frameworks, strategies, programmes and pathways for the training of youth workers
Validation, certification and recognition of their competences
Boosting the importance of the recognition of non-formal and informal learning

11. Follow up Roadmap for implementation 2018-2021
Ad hoc high-level task force on youth work to monitor the implementation (with a QL centre representative)
A seminar to review progress made after three years (2019/20)
Examine the implementation of the Rec after five years (2023)
Finnish meeting… 3rd youth work convention/Germany… ….

12. Thank you for your attention!

13. QUESTIONS?