1.3 National youth strategy
On this page
On this page
Existence of a National Youth Strategy
The chapter on youth policy was for the first time incorporated as a separate part in the Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for 2004-2008. The provisions of this program aimed to encourage the cohesion of youth organizations, engage youth participation in the civil society, and improve policies in youth education, employment, housing, leisure and culture, social and health services, sports, crime prevention and youth local self-government. Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for 2008-2012 and Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania 2012-2016 also had chapters on youth policy.
In order to implement the provisions and measures, provided in these government programs, the Government of Lithuania approved in December 2010 the National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 which established the main strategic goals of the national youth policy.
The Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania 2020 stresses youth participation, youth entrepreneurship and employment possibilities, regional development, and youth participation in culture and sports.
Most recently, the Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022.
Previously in 2021, the National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 was implemented, the aim of which was to identify measures to strengthen the implementation of youth policy at the national level, ensuring interdepartmental cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors.
An Action Plan for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee Initiative is also being implemented from February 2021, with the following objectives: identification of inactive young people, prevention of inactivity, implementation of initial intervention through early intervention and activation measures, and increased integration of young people into the labour market.
Scope and contents
The Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2023-2027 was approved in July 2023, the purpose of which is to determine measures to strengthen the implementation of the national youth policy, in order: to ensure inter-agency cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors, to create the infrastructure necessary for the implementation of a coherent, fact-based and knowledge-based youth policy. The measures are implemented in order:
-
to ensure youth social inclusion, well-being and global citizenship education;
-
to implement a uniformly developed, effective, youth needs-oriented, evidence-based youth policy.
-
to strive for successful integration of youth into the labor market and education system.
The Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022. The main tasks of this action plan include:
- ensuring better employment opportunities for young people - promoting economic and social entrepreneurship of young people, to create favourable conditions for young people to actively participate in the labour market;
- encouraging young people to actively participate in public life and develop their civic competences;
- developing the existing and creating new spaces favourable to youth employment and education, and providing more opportunities for young people experiencing social exclusion;
- ensuring the necessary support for youth and organizations working with youth - to improve their organizational abilities, maintain their distinctiveness and the consistency of their activities;
- ensuring consistent monitoring of the youth situation, to form a youth policy based on facts and knowledge; and,
- strengthening youth policy at the international and regional levels.
The measures that were implemented previously in the framework of the National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 included:
-
ensuring the development of a social security system that meets the various needs of young people;
-
developing a conscious, civic, patriotic, mature, cultural and creative personality of a young person who is able to be an active part of a diverse society;
-
developing and coordinating the youth work system and ensuring the development of youth employment infrastructure;
-
facilitating the consistent and high-quality activities of young people and organizations working with young people in order to increase the involvement of young people in organized activities;
-
ensuring the cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors in developing coherent, factual and knowledge-based youth policies;
National strategic instruments related to youth policy are:
-
2021-2030 Development Program for the Reduction of Income Inequality - Measures
-
2021-2030 Program for the Development of a Accessible Environment for All in All Ways of Living
-
Government Resolution on the Approval of the Inclusive Labor Market Development Program
-
2021-2030 Inclusive Labor Market Development Program (measures )
-
2021-2030 Family Policy Strengthening Development Program - Analysis
-
2021-2030 Family Policy Strengthening Development Program - Measures
-
Government Resolution on the Approval of the Social Inclusion Development Program
Previously the National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 was integrated into the overall national development policy. The Programme, established the main strategic goals of the national youth policy. This Program gave priority to the improvement of the social inclusion of young people, with particular emphasis on young people not in employment, education and training (NEETs), the promotion of cross-sectorial cooperation as the underlying principle of integral youth policy, the exchange of good practices on social inclusion of young people and the promotion of the cooperation in the youth policy field between young people from European Union and Eastern Europe and Caucasus countries. The goals of ensuring better youth employment opportunities, creating favourable conditions for young people to participate in the labour market, promoting economic and social entrepreneurship, developing a non-formal education system, and encouraging youth creativity and active participation in society were also established by the 2011-2019 Programme. Furthermore, the Programme aimed to ensure the development of social security, education and health care systems; develop a conscious, public-spirited, patriotic, mature, cultural and creative young individual, capable of being an active part of a diverse society; develop and coordinate the system of youth work and to ensure the development of youth employment infrastructure; create favourable conditions for consistent and high-quality activities of youth organisations and organisations working with youth; and ensure inter-institutional and cross-sectorial cooperation in developing coherent, fact and knowledge-based youth policy.
The National youth policy development action plan for 2020 was adopted in 2020. In 2021 The National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 was implemented, the aim of which is to identify measures to strengthen the implementation of youth policy at the national level, ensuring interdepartmental cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. The Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022. Most recently the Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2023-2027 was approved in July 2023.
Responsible authority for the implementation of the youth strategy
The Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania is responsible for coordinating the implementation of national youth strategies (programmes and action plans). Earlier the Ministry had been implementing the National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 through the Action Plan for the periods of 2014-2016 and the Action Plan for the period of 2017-2019. In each of the Action Plan's specific objectives, actions, terms of implementation, budget allocations and responsible institutions for its implementations were indicated.
The Agency of Youth Affairs operates in the field of interdepartmental cooperation: coordination of activities of the network of youth researchers, administration of the activities of the National Council for Youth Affairs, cooperation with other institutions, professional guidance, emotional support, mental and physical health of young people, entrepreneurship promotion programs, social services, children's non-formal education and others cross-cutting topics.
Revisions/updates
Since its introduction, the National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 underwent a few revisions or updates.
Firstly, the 2014-2016 Action Plan of the National Youth Policy Program for 2011-2019 development program has been reviewed and more focus is given to youth employment and volunteering as well as the development of youth centres and open spaces, regional youth policies and non-formal education.
The 2015-2017 Regional Youth Policy Strengthening Plan has been approved and implemented.
The National Youth Policy Development Action Plan for 2020 was adopted aon March 18, 2020.
In 2021, the National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 was implemented, the aim of identifying the measures to strengthen the implementation of youth policy at the national level, ensuring interdepartmental cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors.
The Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022.
The Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2023-2027 was approved in July 2023 and updated 4 times: in Novembre 2023, in April 2024, in June 2024 and Decembre 2024.