The Socioeconomic scope of Youth Work in Europe

The European Commission/Council of Europe Youth Partnership strives to raise the profile of youth work and non-formal learning within youth activities, increase the visibility and recognition of youth work and make clear the significance of youth work within the third sector. To this end, it is crucial to enhance knowledge and understanding of investment in youth activities, through the collection, analysis and evaluation of relevant datat.

This is why a major study of the socioeconomic scope of youth work was commissioned by the partnership and has been carried out by the Institut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik (Frankfurt, Germany). The study is in line with previous efforts in this field, which had begun with a joint working paper in 2004 (Pathways towards validation and recognition of education, training and learning in the youth field ), followed by a research seminar and publication in 2005/2006 . It follows on from reviews  of literature on the economic dimension and value of young people's non-formal learning. 

Objectives of the study

• specific youth work and related activities;
• investments in these in terms of money and time;
• the number of people employed;
• the young people who take part in these activities.

These areas were investigated by an international consortium of researchers/institutions co-ordinated by the Insitut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik. Ten countries were examined: Austria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Spain.

The study can be downloaded here.

Individual chapters can be downloaded from the list below:

 Foreword

1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
3. Methodology
4. Definitions of Youth Work
5. Definition of main Action Fields of Youth Work
6. Country Reports on Youth Work
7. Qualification of Youth Workers
8. Survey Results
9. Results from the National Statistical Reviews
10. Results from the Local Statistical Surveys
11. Interview findings
12. Recommendations
13. References
14. List of project partners
15. List of experts participating in the expert meeting in Strasbourg
16. Tables index