Agency of Youth Affairs (JRA) - is the institution responsible for the implementation of youth policy; JRA's mission is to create and ensure the most favorable conditions for the implementation of youth policy based on the needs of young people, by initiating and supporting the cooperation of different institutions.

Assessment of the competences of a youth voluntary service volunteer (hereinafter referred to as the Assessment of the Competences of a Volunteer) – a procedure during which the competences acquired during the youth voluntary service volunteer’s service are assessed and which is concluded with the recognition of the competences.

Council of youth organizations of the municipality - is a youth organization whose main activity is to unite youth organizations operating in the territory of the municipality and to represent them.

Digital youth work – a form of youth work that uses digital tools, platforms and technologies, including activities related to digital skills and online engagement.

Foreign Lithuanian youth organization - a legal entity, other organization or their branch, representative office established in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the country of residence to represent the youth and/or the interests of the youth, with at least 2/3 of the members being foreign Lithuanian youth.

Host organization is a non-profit legal entity registered in the Republic of Lithuania (an organizer of a voluntary service) that is capable of facilitating the development of volunteers in a personal or professional area and ensuring their support. 

International volunteer programme - the programme implemented in compliance with the international obligations assumed by the Republic of Lithuania and specifying the conditions for volunteer participation, organising and financing of voluntary activities.

Young person - a person between the ages of 14 and 29.

Youth empowerment – a process through which young people are given more opportunities, confidence and means to act independently and contribute to society. Source: JRA.

Youth entrepreneurship – activities of youth related with identification and implementation of new opportunities in the labour market.

Youth information and counselling – an activity or service that provides young people with relevant information and guidance on matters related to education, work, health and participation. Source: JRA.

Youth initiative - youth activity designed to meet youth needs.

Youth mobility – the movement of young people for learning purposes, including youth exchanges and youth worker mobility. Source: Erasmus+ / "Youth in Action" description (Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija)

Youth needs analysis – a systematic process of identifying young people’s needs using data, evidence and research. Source: JRA statute.

Youth organization -a public organisation or association registered in the manner prescribed by laws and other legal acts, in which young people or public youth organisations or associations comprise not less than 2/3 of its members.

Youth participation – the involvement of young people in decision-making, civic activity and community life. Source: JRA.

Youth policy - a purposeful activity intended to resolve youth problems and to seek to create favourable conditions for the formation of the personality of a young person and his integration into public life, as well as an activity which has the purpose of achieving understanding and tolerance of society and individual groups thereof towards young people.

Youth project - a purposeful activity of a group of young people or a youth organisation which is determined by the time limits of preparation and implementation, purposes, sources of financing, authors and the persons responsible for the implementation of the project.

Youth Voluntary Service Activity Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement) – a tripartite agreement concluded between a young person, a host organisation and a coordinating organisation, under which youth voluntary service is performed. The agreement establishes the obligations and responsibilities of the parties, the duration of youth voluntary service and the conditions for termination. The agreement may also establish other conditions relevant to the performance of the Youth Voluntary Service Programme.

Youth Voluntary Service Certificate (hereinafter referred to as Service Certificate) – a document issued to youth voluntary service volunteers who have completed youth voluntary service, confirming their participation in the Youth Voluntary Service Programme and the acquired competencies.

Youth Voluntary Service Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Service Commission) – a commission formed by order of the Director of the Youth Affairs Agency from representatives of the Youth Affairs Agency, coordinating and hosting organizations, which provides recommendations and examines applications of youth voluntary service volunteers regarding the suspension and approval of this service. The Youth Voluntary Service Commission must be formed from at least 5 persons. The chairman and secretary of the commission are elected during the 1st meeting.

Youth Voluntary Service Inspection Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Service Inspection Commission) – a commission formed by order of the Director of the Youth Affairs Agency from representatives of the Youth Affairs Agency, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, and non-governmental organizations, which provides recommendations to the Director of the Youth Affairs Agency on issues of evaluation of coordinating organizations.

Youth Voluntary Service Reserve (hereinafter referred to as the Service Reserve) – a list administered by the Youth Affairs Agency, which includes applicants who wish to become youth voluntary service volunteers, when there are no host organisations that can accept them, or when there are other conditions under which persons wishing to become youth voluntary service volunteers cannot become them.

Youth Voluntary Service Volunteer (hereinafter referred to as Volunteer) – a person aged 14–29 years who meets the definition of a volunteer set out in Article 2, Part 4 of the Law on Voluntary Activities of the Republic of Lithuania and who is performing youth voluntary service.

Youth work - an activity aimed at conditions for a young person to get involved in personal, professional and social activities, to develop and develop his competences.

Youth worker – a person who works professionally with young people and supports their personal and social development. Source: e-Seimas.

Youth worker certificate - a document issued by an institution authorized by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, specified in Article 3, Part 2 of the Law on Youth Policy of the Republic of Lithuania, which grants the right to a person who has the education and abilities specified in Article 61 of this Law to work with young people.

Youth-friendly health care services – a set health care services satisfying the needs of youth, which covers the services of treatment and prevention (including monitoring) of diseases and consulting services (also on social matters), including health education and training adapted to the needs of youth, and complies with the criteria defined by the World Health Organisation (free or affordable, with easy registration or without registration, short waiting time; non-discriminating; guaranteeing confidentiality and privacy; meeting the needs of physical, social and psychological health and development of each young person; services should be rendered by competent staff; safe environment meeting the needs of young people).

Lithuanian youth council - a youth organisation the principal purpose whereof is to unite youth organisations of Lithuania and to represent them.

Lithuanian Qualifications Framework – a system of levels of qualifications set in the Republic of Lithuania and based on the competences necessary for person’s activities.

Mentoring – an individual support and learning process in which a more experienced person helps a young person reflect, develop competences and achieve goals. Source: (e-Seimas)

National youth council - a youth organisation the principal purpose whereof is to unite youth organisations of Lithuania and to represent them.

NEET - youth not in employment, education or training. Young people in education include those attending part-time or full-time education, but exclude those in non-formal education and in educational activities of very short duration. Employment is defined according to the ILO/OECD Guidelines and covers all those who have been in paid work for at least one hour in the reference week of the survey or were temporarily absent from such work. Therefore NEET youth can be either unemployed or inactive and not involved in education or training. 

Non-formal education – purposive learning activities carried out outside formal education, which help individuals acquire knowledge, skills and competences through practical experience. Source: JRA.

Open youth centre – an accessible space for young people where they can safely spend time, participate in activities, receive support and build relationships. Source: JRA "Youth Work Measures" and information on the JRA website about open youth centers and spaces. (JP JRA)

Organisation working with youth - a public legal person one of the purposes whereof is youth-oriented activity which meets their needs.

Organization providing voluntary services (SVO, savanorystės organizacija)  is an accredited non-governmental organization operating in the Republic of Lithuania, which can provide volunteer participation in volunteering activities, co-operation with the Host Organizations, provide methodological support to the Host Organizations for the assessment and evaluation of competencies acquired by the volunteer during volunteering. 

Recognition of the competences of a youth voluntary service volunteer (hereinafter referred to as the Recognition of the Competences of a Volunteer) – the final stage of the assessment of the competences of a youth voluntary service volunteer – the determination of the acquired competences, their level and the issuance of a certificate confirming this.

Regional youth council - a youth organisation the principal purpose whereof is to unite the youth organisations functioning in a territorial administrative unit of the Republic of Lithuania and to represent them.

Social inclusion – a process aimed at ensuring that vulnerable groups are integrated into society and can participate more fully in public life. Source: Ministry of Social Security and Labour project "Social Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups" and JRA research on social inclusion of young people.

Socially excluded young people – young persons rom families, that are socially vulnerable; young persons from families whose parental rights are limited; from orphanages or living in rural areas; young persons who are children of migrant workers and immigrants; young persons who are children of ethnic minorities; young people with any physical or mental disabilities; young persons who are not in education and not employed.

The Youth Voluntary Service (YVS) - intensive 6 months. long-term volunteering program for young people aged 14 to 29, during which young people volunteer for an average of 40 hours/month* in a selected accredited host organization (hereinafter - PO) (you can check the status in the database of host organizations), meets once a month with the organizers of volunteering activities as a mentor appointed by the organization, learns to overcome difficulties, learns to reflect on experience and identify lessons learned, formulate directions for improvement.

The nascent entrepreneurship rate - the proportion of the adult population (age 18 to 64) that are actively involved in setting up a business they will own or co-own; this business has not paid salaries, wages or any other payments to the owners for more than three months (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor)

The new business ownership rate - the proportion of the adult population that are currently an owner-manager of a new business that has paid salaries, wages or any other payments to the owners for more than three months, but not more than 42 months (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor).

Volunteer is a young person who performs gratis activities for the benefit of society in the host organization.

Volunteering  - socially useful activities carried out by a volunteer free of charge, the conditions whereof are set by an agreement between the volunteer and volunteer organiser.

World Union of Lithuanian Youth - an organization of foreign Lithuanian youth whose main goal is to unite foreign Lithuanian youth organizations and represent them on a global scale.