Status in national legislation

In Denmark, youth work is not a recognised profession, and the term is not widely used. Therefore, the term youth worker applies to everyone working with young people and not only to professionals.

There is no formal requirement regarding training or qualification standards for youth workers operating in either the third sector or in youth schools and youth clubs.

The only criterion that applies to everyone in contact with children and young people under the age of 15 according to the Act on Children’s Certificate (Børneattestloven, Lbk nr 362 af 02/04/2014 ), is that they cannot have any previous record of sexual offences involving children. Therefore, before employing people in contact with children and young people under the age of 15, the candidate must show a children’s certificate.

Education, training, and skills recognition

There is no formal education to become a youth worker, and it is not possible to obtain a professional degree in youth work.

In the public sector, the educational background of the majority of people employed as youth workers is a bachelor’s in social education (professionsbachelor som pædagog) which is a broad generalist course with a focus on competencies related to the development of and care for children, young people and adults in various settings. After the basic programme, students may specialise in “school and leisure time pedagogy” (skole- og fritidspædagogik) which targets children and young people in the 6-18 year age group. The programme focuses on the development, well-being and learning of children and young people, especially in relation to identity formation, social relations, communities (fællesskaber) and inclusion.

However, it is not a formal requirement, and municipalities are free to employ whoever they consider suitable. For leisure time activities/non-formal learning activities, there are no formal requirements regarding education/qualification or work experience. Youth schools have the liberty to choose who they employ.

Typically, a municipal youth club has a core team of youth workers that have a bachelor’s in social education or are teachers. The core personnel are supplemented by people with specific skills which are of interest to the young users of the club, for example, craftsmen, artists or musicians who are passionate about their work and can facilitate social and personal development and be role models to the young people.

Most youth NGOs are run entirely or almost entirely by volunteers. Some youth NGOs employ staff, but they are rarely youth workers or individuals involved in the delivery of youth work. Instead, most of them are administrators and other professionals employed to run the NGO from an administrative, strategic or financial perspective. Most of the individuals who work directly with young people are volunteers or are paid to work on a part-time/per-session basis.

Training for continuous professional development

For third sector youth workers, the DUF, Youth Ring (Ungdomsringen), the association for youth schools (ungdomsskoleforeningen), as well as the two national sports federations DGI and DIF, all arrange competence development courses for their member organisations. For more information on the associations, see section 10.2. The DUF arranges networks for youth workers, such as networking for chairpersons and top board members, networking for employees and advisors, networking for secretariat directors, networking for non-formal general education and networking for international coordinators. Furthermore, DUF offers five learning programmes and courses to their member organisations which all work with children and young people.

DGI arranges training courses for trainers, including young trainers.

For youth work in municipal youth schools and youth clubs, The Youth School Association (Ungdomsskoleforeningen) offers networking opportunities for youth school workers.

The Youth Ring (Ungdomsringen) offers pedagogical courses aimed at developing youth workers’ professional competency and people skills so that youth workers are better equipped when working with young people. Furthermore, the Youth Ring offers courses in project management to improve working on specific projects or activities in the local youth clubs.

There is no specific national procedure to validate skills gained by youth workers. Youth workers may use prior learning assessment (realkompetencevurdering) to document skills and competencies gained through youth work. Prior learning assessment generally relates to skills gained in non-formal and informal learning. For more information, see sections 2.7 and 6.4.

Mobility of youth workers

Denmark does not have a dedicated national mobility programme for youth workers, but several funding opportunities support international mobility through different initiatives. Some organisations distribute profits from the national lottery and football pools (udlodningsmidlerne) to youth and sports associations, which can include support for youth worker mobility projects both nationally and internationally.

The Danish Youth Council (DUF) distributes national funding to organisations working with children and young people, including an international pool that supports democracy and development partnerships. The international pool enables young people to engage in civic activism, learn from peers, and drive positive social change. DUF’s international pool funds activities carried out by DUF’s member organisations in collaboration with partners from countries listed on the OECD DAC list, supporting youth worker mobility as part of these partnerships.

Explore Programme

One example of DUF’s mobility support is the Explore Programme, designed to kick-start international cooperation among DUF’s member organisations. The programme consists of an introductory course where youth workers receive training in international collaboration and project management. As part of the programme, youth workers travel to a designated 'Explore Country' to build partnerships for future projects. This initiative strengthens international networks and equips youth workers with the skills needed to develop and lead global youth projects.

Youth Leader Programme

Another initiative, the Youth Leader Programme, provides long-term mobility opportunities for youth leaders aged 18–30. Each year, organisations can send trained youth leaders for 3–12 months to countries in the Middle East, North Africa, or other developing nations. The programme is based on an equal partnership between a Danish organisation and an international partner, with the youth leader playing a central role in fostering cooperation. The main objective is to enhance leadership skills, strengthen youth engagement, and support local capacity-building through cross-cultural exchange.