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1. Main inclusive youth-work programmes and target groups

Main inclusive youth-work programmes and target groups

In the Finnish context, the social inclusion of young people is promoted as part of targeted youth work, including outreach youth work and youth workshops.  

According to the Youth Act (1285/2016) (Nuorisolaki, in Finnish) and the Government Decree on Youth Work and Youth Policy (211/2017) (Valtioneuvoston asetus nuorisotyöstä ja -politiikasta, in Finnish), the Ministry of Education and Culture allocates state subsidies for youth work programmes. This also covers inclusive youth work programmes with specific target groups. See YouthWiki/Finland 10 Youth Work for more general information on targeted youth work. 

The most visible forms of targeted services in Finland are workshops for young people and outreach youth work. According to the Ministry of Education and Culture’s webpage, approximately 90 per cent of municipalities have workshops for young people. Outreach youth work is financed by targeted government subsidies and carried out across the country. The main objective of outreach youth work is to reach young people under 29 who need support and direct them to relevant services or other forms of support that promote their growth, independence, and access to education and work. 

Educational travel training (Nuotta, in Finnish) is a social youth work project of the national youth centre network (see the Finnish Youth Centres), supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Nuotta training is targeted at young people aged 13–28. Nuotta coaches seek to empower young people and challenge them to take control of their daily routines: they assist with time management, the ins and outs of social life, and life management skills, for example. Nuotta encourages social engagement and supports young people in taking responsibility for their study and work paths. Activities are based on experiential learning (e.g., climbing, trekking, canoeing, archery, arts, and different problem-solving games). The typical length of these activities is 2–4 days. According to the Finnish Youth Centres’ news release Nuotta training in Youth Work Centres in 2026 (Nuotta-valmennus nuorisokeskuksissa vuonna 2026, 3 February 2026, in Finnish), Nuotta training will be organised in eight locations between 1 January 2026 and 31 January 2027. A distinctive feature of the national youth centres is that they also offer accommodation, which differentiates them from the local youth centres that provide daily leisure activities for local young people organised by municipalities.