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1. Existing arrangements

2. Skills

Existing arrangements

In Malta, the recognition and validation of skills acquired through youth work are embedded within the broader national framework for the recognition of non-formal and informal learning. Youth work constitutes a specific application of this framework, particularly through structured programmes delivered by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ.

Young people participating in youth work activities have access to recognition and validation mechanisms primarily through a three-tier programme structure: Access Skills for Independent Living and Working Life, Skills for Independent Living and Working Life, and Connect Skills and Competences for the Workplace. These programmes are delivered annually by professional youth workers and provide structured non-formal learning pathways.

Participation in these programmes leads to formal recognition through certificates issued upon completion, as well as validation of competences through assessment processes aligned with programme learning outcomes. Importantly, these programmes are accredited within the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) at Levels 1, 2 and 3, thereby enabling accreditation of learning outcomes within the formal education and training system.

A key development strengthening this alignment is the accreditation of these programmes by the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education (DQSE) (https://education.gov.mt), ensuring that youth work provision meets national quality assurance standards applicable to formal and non-formal learning contexts.

Furthermore, these programmes are implemented in collaboration with the Ministry responsible for education through the Life Hack programme, which integrates youth work methodologies within alternative learning pathways. This cooperation reinforces the link between youth work and formal education, facilitating the recognition, validation and, where applicable, accreditation of competences acquired through youth work participation.

Skills

Malta does not have a single, youth work-specific national competence framework. Therefore, no top-level policy explicitly defines a standardised set of skills acquired exclusively through youth work.

However, within the existing national framework for non-formal and informal learning, youth work programmes delivered by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ contribute to the development and assessment of a range of transversal competences. These are defined through programme learning outcomes and aligned with MQF descriptors and national quality standards.

Such competences typically include personal and social development, communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, independent living skills and employability-related skills. Through accredited programmes and initiatives such as the Life Hack programme, these competences are increasingly recognised and validated within formal structures.

Currently there are no top-level national policies and/or recognition mechanisms identify specific skills and competences that can be acquired through youth work.