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EACEA National Policies Platform
Denmark

Denmark

10. Youth work

10.2 Administration and governance of youth work

Last update: 28 November 2023
On this page
  1. Governance
  2. Cross-sectoral cooperation

Governance

Youth work is a shared responsibility of different national and local authorities, as well as youth organisations/associations that receive funding from the government. This section describes the main actors involved in youth work.

The Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet) is the highest authority for municipal youth schools and youth clubs. The Act on Youth Schools (Ungdomsskoleloven, LBK nr 608 af 28/05/2019) establishes the Ministry's responsibility. The Ministry is responsible for establishing the legal framework for youth work. At the local level, municipalities implement youth clubs and youth schools according to the municipal children and youth policy.

The Ministry of Culture is responsible for non-formal general education, voluntary activities in associations, day folk high schools (which are providers of non-formal education with a special focus on bringing participants closer to education or employment), university extensions, which provide open courses on a broad range of subjects (Folkeuniversitetet), folk high schools and sports.

Furthermore, the Ministry lays down the framework for public support of institutions/associations within general non-formal learning and for folk high schools. The institutions/associations are responsible for the content and quality of non-formal learning.

 

Lastly, the Ministry is also the responsible authority for distributing the profits from the national lottery and football pools (udlodningsmidlerne) to national sports federations and culture and youth associations. The profit amounts to 1 billion DKK a year, and 9.79% of the profits are used for youth associations. The Danish Youth Council (Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd, DUF) administers the pool for youth associations. See more on the Danish Youth Council below.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Senior Citizens is responsible for the Act on Social Services (Serviceloven), which establishes municipalities’ responsibility for setting up special youth clubs for young people with special needs that cannot participate in ordinary youth clubs.

Municipalities in Denmark are responsible for the implementation of the main part of the Danish welfare services. Among these services are the youth schools and youth clubs, which are part of a municipality’s children and youth policy, and the mandatory municipal children and youth strategy. Youth schools offer both formal and non-formal learning for children and young people in the 14-18 year age group.

According to the Act on Non-Formal General Education (Folkeoplysningsloven), the municipal council must establish a permanent committee on non-formal general education. Associations eligible for funding must be represented in the committee. According to the act, the municipal council can assign obligations to the committee. In this way, the committee influences how the municipality allocates funding and is consulted regarding decisions affecting municipal associational life.

According to the Act on Youth Schools (Ungdomsskoleloven), municipal councils must establish youth school boards with representation from organisations with an interest in youth schools, youth school staff and pupils at the youth schools. Based on the municipal councils’ allocations, the youth school boards produce budget and activity plans for the youth schools. Furthermore, the boards recommend the appointment of youth school employees for decisions by the municipal councils, as well as make statements and submit proposals regarding all youth school affairs.

 

Main private actors

The Danish Youth Council (DUF):  is an umbrella organisation for 80 organisations working with children and young people. DUF’s member organisations range from scouts to political youth organisations, voluntary social organisations, cultural organisations, environmental organisations, organisations for youth with disabilities and many more. DUF administers a share of the profits from the national lottery and football pools (udlodningsmidlerne) and distributes approximately DKK 140 million annually to Danish organisations working with children and young people (see section 5.3). Furthermore, DUF organises and coordinates a range of courses, workshops and other training programmes for young people who work professionally or voluntarily with young people in DUF’s member associations. These offers involve, for instance:

  1. how to start a new project
  2. budget and economy
  3. how to be a leader of youth work
  4. tasks and responsibilities as a board member of a youth association

Youth Ring (Ungdomsringen)  represents 850 local youth clubs and youth schools. Youth Ring develops and conducts activities for young people in the local youth clubs, offers competence development for leaders and youth workers in the local youth clubs, and participates in debates on young people’s leisure/after-school lives. Furthermore, Youth Ring has established a youth council and a youth congress that represents the young members of the local youth clubs in the development of the organisation.

Association of Youth Schools (Ungdomsskoleforeningen)  is a national membership organisation for municipal youth schools. The association supports the local youth schools by representing their interests vis-à-vis politicians and decision-makers, developing and testing new teaching initiatives, knowledge distribution and networking and consultancy and competence development of people working professionally with the young people in the youth schools.

The national sports federations that receive funding from the national lottery and football pools (udlodningsmidlerne) (DGI and DIF) also arrange courses and workshops for volunteers and coaches in local sports associations. Often, young people volunteer as assistant coaches in local sports clubs.

Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (Danske Gymnastik- og Idrætsforeninger, DGI) is one of the biggest sports associations organising 6 000 local sports associations.

Danish Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Danmarks Idrætsforbund, DIF) is an umbrella organisation with 62 sports unions as members.

 

 

General distribution of responsibilities

The Ministry of Children and Education is the highest authority for youth work in youth schools and youth clubs. The Ministry is responsible for establishing the legal framework for youth work. At the local level, municipalities implement youth clubs and youth schools according to the municipal policy for childhood and youth.

The Ministry of Culture is responsible for non-formal general education and for folk high schools. The Ministry lays the framework for public support of institutions/associations within general non-formal general education and for folk high schools. The institutions and associations are responsible for the content and quality of non-formal learning. 

 

Cross-sectoral cooperation

There is no mechanism to ensure cross-sectoral cooperation between the main public actors.

There is no regular top-level cooperation between the main public actors on youth work. However, at the municipal level, youth work actors cooperate due to the municipal governance structure. Municipal governance is divided into administrations. Youth schools are often included in children and youth administrations, together with schools and youth clubs. Since municipalities have self-governance, the structure differs and, in some municipalities, culture is included in the children and youth administration, which also covers sports, leisure activities, music schools, etc.

Furthermore, KL Local Government Denmark, which is an association and interest organisation of the 98 municipalities in Denmark, has set up a variety of networks on key municipal areas such as children and young people, culture, sport and leisure activities, education, etc. The networks facilitate knowledge sharing, peer-learning and inspiration and target management or employees in the municipalities.

Furthermore, KL Local Government Denmark arranges yearly summit meetings for municipalities with keynote speeches, discussion groups and other peer learning opportunities.