Youth work: principles and organisation

Principles of youth work

The action being taken for young people is based on non-formal education (outside of the school framework) and on the “socio-educational youth work”: a vast range of social, cultural, educational, environmental and/or political activities conducted by, with and for young people either in groups or individually.

Socio-educational youth work is essentially a social practice. It entails working with young people and the society they live in, with a view to facilitating their inclusion and their active participation in community life and decision-making.

The key principle for youth work is the voluntary and willing participation of the young people concerned.

Recognition and support for youth organisations and youth services

The ministry assumes that work with young people takes place primarily through youth organisations and services dedicated to them; this is why it provides them with ongoing support.

The Service national de la jeunesse (SNJ, National Youth Service) provides organisations and services with various infrastructure, including youth centres and a material lending service. It also supports the training of youth leaders by coordinating training programmes and developing suitable educational materials.

The actors in the field – whether youth associations or other structures working for young people – can receive financial support from the ministry having youth in its remits.

Through agreements, the State can contribute to expenses for acquiring, constructing, developing, renovating or modernising buildings and equipment.

The ministry may also grant subsidies to organisations or associations for specific measures and activities in favour of young people.

Quality assurance

The loi modifiée du 4 juillet 2008 sur la jeunesse (amended Law of 4  July 2008 on youth) introduced a quality assurance system within the field of non-formal education and work with and for young people.

In order to guarantee the quality of the services offered by the entire public sector for youth (and childhood), the system is based on five key elements:

  • the Cadre de référence national sur l’éducation non formelle des enfants et des jeunes (National reference framework on non-formal education for children and young people), which comprises the fundamental objectives as well as the principles and characteristics of non-formal education in Luxembourg;
  • the drafting of a general action concept (concept d’action général, CAG) for every education and childcare service for young people which receives financial support from the state;
  • keeping an event log (journal de bord) which shows the implementation of the aforementioned general action concept;
  • establishing a continuing training plan for staff within the sector;
  • a visit from regional agents (agents régionaux, AREG) whose purpose is to check that the service’s educational practice corresponds to its general action concept.

Service national de la jeunesse

The mission of the Service national de la jeunesse (SNJ, National Youth Service) is to actively contribute to the creation of an environment that promotes the healthy development of young people, while supporting them through educational programmes to become responsible, engaged and active citizens who respect democracy, values and fundamental rights of our society. The services of the SNJ are aimed both at stakeholders in the youth sector and directly at young people. The SNJ’s motto is “Jonker staark maachen” (“Empowering young people”).

The SNJ’s four areas of work are:

Educational offers

Specialised teams based at the five centres – Marienthal, Hollenfels, Cinqfontaines, Forum Geesseknäppchen and the water sports base in Lultzhausen – offer educational programmes for youth centres, youth organisations, school groups from primary and secondary education, and childcare and education facilities.

They also organise training for the educational staff of these structures, for camp leaders and for more specialised youth leaders. The educational teams offer activities under the following themes: Natur erliewen, Sport erliewen, Team erliewen, Medien erliewen, Kreativitéit erliewen, Mënscherechter erliewen (experiencing nature, experiencing sport, experiencing team spirit, experiencing media, experiencing creativity, experiencing human rights). The Marienthal and Cinqfontaines centres have facilities to accomodate group stays.

Support for transition to working life

The Service national de la jeunesse (SNJ) supports young people in their transition to working life, particularly those who have dropped out of school, are inactive, are reorienting or who wish to commit to volunteering. It offers workshops in schools, individual support, practical workshops and voluntary service, promoting experiential learning.

The offer is complemented by training focused on life projects, professional and personal skills. These programmes, based on non-formal education, are aimed at young people outside the school system and rely on voluntary participation. The objective is to rebuild confidence, strengthen autonomy and reconnect young people with society. Contact is established through institutional partnerships and community-based actions throughout the country.

Au pair hosting

The Service national de la jeunesse (SNJ) is responsible for controlling and coordinating the au pair hosting in Luxembourg. The SNJ manages both applications from host families and from young au pairs. It informs au pairs about their rights and responsibilities and intervenes in the event of disagreements between host families and au pairs. All these tasks are covered by the SNJ’s “Accueil au pair” department.

Development of the youth sector

Lead by the responsible of the Direction générale de la jeunesse, the Service national de la jeunesse (SNJ) supports the development of the youth sector. It assists the various actors operating in this field, prepares approvals and funding agreements and ensures follow-up. It organises dialogue with young people, youth organisations and youth services and contributes to the development of a policy in favor of youth.

 

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