10.3 Support to youth work
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There is not existing stand-alone strategy on youth work. Youth work is dealt with in the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030.
Development and establishment of youth work at national level is one of the strategic objectives of the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030. This strategic objective comprises two operational objectives, and namely: establishment of mechanism for recognition and development of youth work and its dissemination; encouraging innovative approaches in youth work. Some of the measures and activities for the achievement of these objectives are:
- Establishment of cross-sectoral coordination mechanism for development and expansion of the scope of youth work;
- Support for the recognition, development and establishment of youth work as a factor for personal, social and professional development of young people;
- Support for the development of mobile youth work;
- Promoting the use of digital tools in youth work.
The key partners of the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the implementation of the above measures are: Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, National Agency for Vocational Education and Training, Human Resources Development Center, National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, regional governors, municipalities, nongovernmental organisations, youth workers, schools, universities, youth centers and spaces, social partners, international organisations, business, research organisations, etc.
The main sources of public funding are provided for in the budget of the Ministry of Youth and Sports through the National Youth Programme (2021-2025) (Национална програма за младежта (2021-2025)). It is one of the tools used for the implementation of youth policy at national level by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The vision of the National Youth Program (2021-2025) is to improve the quality of life and realisation of young people by developing and applying sustainable mechanisms to invest in their potential, thus contributing to the overall socioeconomic development of Bulgaria. It is implemented in accordance with the objectives of the National Youth Strategy (2021- 2030).
The activities under the National Youth Program (2021-2025) are aimed at young people at the age of 15 – 29 who are the direct target group. Indirect participants in the activities may be national and local structures and/or institutions, non-profit organisations and other stakeholders.
The National Youth Program (2021-2025) comprises five thematic areas. It terms of youth work, thematic area 1 refers to non-formal education for acquisition of skills and key competences.
The financial resources ensured for projects funded under the National Youth Program (2021-2025) are in the amount of BGN 800 400 (approximately EUR 409 000) per year.
Four youth centers established under the initiative of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the Council of Europe are operating in Bulgaria. In 2016, the four youth centers in the cities of Vratsa, Dobrich, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora, signed cooperation agreement for establishment of national network of youth centers. The four youth centers employ youth work providing services to the young people.
By the example of these four youth centers, the Recovery and Resilience Plan foresees the establishment of more than 50 centers for personal development of school students and young people in support of sustainable recovery of municipalities.
In November 2021, a National Working Group for Youth Work was established and administered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The main objectives of the working group are to make a roadmap for the development and support of youth work at national level; to collect data and analyse the current status of youth work at national and local level, to raise the awareness of the Bonn Process and youth work at national and local level, and to ensure continuous implementation of the Bonn Process. The National Working Group for Youth Work is composed of the following members: representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Human Resources Development Centre, youth centres, national representative youth organisations, National Youth Forum, academic society, civic organisations dealing with youth work and youth work researchers.