10.5 Youth workers
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Status in national legislation
The status of youth workers is not recognised in national legislation, and there are no specific standards and criteria for them.
Education, training and skills recognition
In Croatia, there are no specific educational paths for youth workers and there is no formal qualification for youth work. Youth workers in Croatia have diverse backgrounds, but they predominantly come from education, social work, and other social and humanities fields. Apart from their original fields of study, they acquire their youth work competences through the ‘learning by doing’ principle as well as through non-formal training in the field of youth work. There are no procedures for validating the skills and competences acquired by youth workers through non-formal and informal learning.
In 2018, the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb and the University of Rijeka embarked on a joint project of creating the life-long learning educational programme, Youth in Contemporary Society, the first of its kind in the Western Balkans region. A one-semester-long programme, accredited with 30 ECTS credits, is designed as a certified programme for the professional development of individuals already working with young people in civil society organisations or other relevant institutions for carrying out the measures and activities outlined within the National Youth Programme. It is also intended for those considering a career in the youth work field.
Mobility of youth workers
There are no national programmes offering mobility opportunities for youth workers, except the Erasmus+ programme.