10.5 Youth workers
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Status in national legislation
The only form in which youth work can be found as a separate entity in legislation (besides the educational aspects and the references of the National Youth Strategy) is the reference to the 'youth assistant' profession of the Hungarian Standard Classification of Occupation (hereinafter referred to as HSCO) of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO). This practically means that the laws only consider youth workers with corresponding education and/or occupation; volunteers are therefore subject to a different legal understanding.
Various laws list a number of professions that can be exercised as youth assistant occupation. According to the website of the HCSO, typical positions include (but are not limited to):
- Child and youth protection officer
- Child protection supervisor
- Youth assistant
- Youth officer
- Youth education associate
- Community development assistant
- Community assistant
- Community childcare advisor
- Social educator and helper-rehabilitation.
Education, training and skills recognition
Until 2017, youth worker qualification could be obtained in higher vocational education. This means a two-year education in a higher education institution and a certificate could be obtained. In 2015 the Community Coordinator BA (Közösségszervezés BA) level education has been created. Its youth community coordinator specialisation became the successor of the higher vocational education. This means that currently the only way to have a university level degree in youth work is finishing the youth specialization of the community coordinator BA programme.
National Youth Council
In 2022 the National Youth Council (Nemzeti Ifjúsági Tanács), with the involvement of Euro Consult Bt. – a provider of adult education with competences in youth profession – launched a state-recognised, 220-hour youth worker adult education course, which aims to ensure the supply of youth professionals in Hungary in addition to higher education programme.
The target group are experts working with youth without qualification in the field. The main topics are:
- Theoretical foundations of youth work, concepts, professional identity,
- social systems and services, legal regulations,
- working with young people, age group related characteristics,
- different roles of youth work (coach, mentor, trainer, etc.),
- organizing trainings, methods of non-formal education, competence development,
- international perspectives, EU regulations, programmes,
- NGO management, project management and tender writing.
Hungarian Association of Youth Service Providers
From time to time the Hungarian Association of Youth Service Providers (Ifjúsági Szolgáltatók Országos Szövetsége) organises training and networking opportunities. In 2021-2022 online workshops and a final on-site meeting was held to improve personal competences of volunteers of participating NGOs.
Between 2016 and 2018 they organized the Academy of Profession for the Youth.
Mobility of youth workers
Government-funded mobility of youth workers mostly relates to community development of Hungarian minority communities in countries of the Carpathian Basin (see the role of the Bethlen Gábor Fund in sub-chapter 10.3 Support to youth work).
Besides this and the networking options described in sub-chapter 10.3 Support to youth work, the youth chapter of Erasmus+ offers the most opportunities for youth workers to take part in international study visits and seminars. The national phase of the E+ project of Europe Goes Local involved study visits also on the national level.