10.8 Current debates and reforms
On this page
On this page
Forthcoming policy developments
As recommended in Youth Work in the Spotlight. Guide to Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member States on youth work, the local governments should invest in the recognition of competences gained through youth work and non formal and informal learning by promoting the recognition of competences developed through participating in and delivering youth work, and by giving increased support to implementing the existing and future European frameworks and agendas on the recognition of non-formal and informal learning. The Youth Work Centre of Expertise Kentauri improves the identification and recognition of young people’s competence by its Digital Competence Disc (Digitaalinen Osaamiskiekko, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture), which allows young people to convert the competence they have developed in their free time into ECTS credits and suggests ways to make use of the prior learning in their studies. Kentauri has also developed competence badges (supported by Open Badge Factory), which are standard, verifiable, portable, and shareable digital micro-credentials with embedded information about the skills and achievements of their recipients. Kentauri has seven different badges (support person, team leader, salesperson, communicator, peer supporter, event actor and educator), which support the identification and recognition of young volunteers' non-formal and informal competence in their studies or in relation to their potential employers, see more in Youth Wiki Finland 2.10 Current debates and reforms.
Ongoing debates
The city library of Espoo got the national youth work award of 20 000 € reports the information bulletin (25.4.2024, available in Finnish) of the Ministry of Education and Culture. In her commentaries, the minister responsible for youth matters, Sandra Bergqvist, said that the libraries of Espoo have over time developed their working methods to support the engagement and participation possibilities of children and young people. The award was given in YOUTH2024 – National Days of Youth Work -seminar organised by the Finnish National Youth Council Allianssi. ‘Public spaces into which children and young people are welcome are very much needed’, said the minister.