Youth volunteering in general

The Belgian law of July 3, 2005, on the rights of volunteers provides a certain framework for “quality assurance” in volunteering, but this quality assurance is primarily legal (liability, insurance) rather than a system for certifying or evaluating the “quality” of volunteer activities as in certain management systems.

Volunteering in youth sector

The French-speaking Community has set up an official training system for youth leaders (the Holiday Center Youth Leader Certificate (BACV)). This certificate guarantee solid teaching skills (communication, group management, creativity, active teaching), safety skills (risk management, first aid, responsibility), a clear understanding of the values of non-formal education, knowledge of the rights and duties of young people and youth workers.

Training organizations must themselves be accredited by the FWB, which creates a double layer of quality assurance (quality of training, quality of the trained). 

European Solidarity Corps

The French-speaking Community participates actively in the European Solidarity Corps programme, where the EVS quality standards (support to the volunteer, information and Youthpass) apply. The quality assurance is assured by the National Agency for Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps in the French-speaking Community (Bureau International Jeunesse) and the sending and hosting organisations.