Training and the EU-CoE youth partnership

Youth training: the first focal point of the partnership

Co-operation between the European Commission and the Council of Europe in the context of the EU-CoE youth partnership started in 1998, focusing specifically on the training of youth workers and youth leaders.
The initial aim of the partnership, which was to give added value to the work of the two partner institutions in the field of training offers and training materials, remains valid.

A strong emphasis on quality

One of the aims of both the Council of Europe and the European Union in the youth sector is the promotion of European Citizenship and of international co-operation between young people, youth workers/leaders and youth structures in Europe.
This aim is primarily pursued through the programme of the Council of Europe Directorate of Youth and Sport and the European Union's Youth in Action Programme (2007 to 2013).

A strong emphasis is placed on the quality and content of the projects organised or supported within these programmes. Training all the players involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of European youth projects is crucial to securing the desired level of quality.

Towards a long-term training strategy in the youth field

The EU-CoE youth partnership therefore set out a long-term training strategy in the youth field, with the aim of achieving:

• greater consistency in training approaches and activities;
• greater continuity in the training of trainers, with a long-term strategy and a systematic approach;
• quality standards for European-level youth workers training;
• minimum standards for trainers' qualifications and competencies;
• assessment and recognition of trainers' qualifications and competencies;
• ongoing monitoring and evaluation of training activities.

Priorities of the partnership training activities

Co-operation between the two institutions covers a wide spectrum of training activities: development and implementation of training approaches and innovative courses, development of training materials, of a training magazine and of tools for further networking, etc.

EU-CoE youth partnership training currently focus on two main priority areas:

• European Citizenship
• Training for Trainers