10.8 Current debates and reforms
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Address
Ministère des Sports, de la Jeunesse et de la Vie associative
Direction de la Jeunesse, Education Populaire et Vie Associative (DJEPVA)
95, avenue de France
FR-75650 Paris Cedex 13
Tel: /
E-Mail : djepva.sd1c@jeunesse-sports.gouv.fr
Website : https://www.jeunes.gouv.fr/
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Forthcoming policy developments
The Youth Work Steering Committee
The Youth Work Steering Committee (Comité de filière animation) is a sectoral dialogue body bringing together professionals, associations, and public authorities (in the fields of youth, sport and the voluntary sector) to propose strategic orientations and serve as a forum for exchange on issues affecting the sector.
A press release dated 23 January 2025 referred to a “New impetus for youth work in France” (« Nouvelle impulsion pour l’animation en France ») through this committee.
Moreover, the Committee has undertaken several workstreams aimed at strengthening the clarity, attractiveness and professionalisation of the sector. Two opinions issued in July 2025 address, in particular:
- the clarification of management pathways in collective childcare settings (accueils collectifs de mineurs) and;
- the reform of the vocational baccalaureate “Animation – Children and Older People” (Bac professionnel AEPA), with a view to securing career pathways and addressing recruitment shortages.
Ongoing debates
Scholar's publication regarding the recognition and attractiveness of youth work professions
The recognition and attractiveness of youth work professions have been the subject of recent analysis. In January 2025, the National Institute for Youth and Popular Education (INJEP - Institut national de la jeunesse et de l’éducation populaire) published a study entitled “Youth Work: History, Target Groups and Professions” (L'animation jeunesse. Histoire, publics, métiers), providing a comprehensive overview of the sector in a context marked by labour shortages and ongoing reforms.
The study highlights several key findings: a growing difficulty in recruiting within the youth work sector, affecting the continuity and quality of provision; a sector under strain, characterised by declining attractiveness, unstable employment conditions and limited institutional recognition; and changes in target groups and activity periods (out-of-school time, holiday programmes and residential stays), which call for new professional skills (including inclusion, digital skills and intercultural competencies), thereby raising questions about the adaptation of existing training frameworks.