4.7 Youth work to foster social inclusion
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Address
Nederlands Jeugdinstituut (Netherlands Youth Institute)
Churchillaan 11
Postbus 19221
NL-3501 DE Utrecht
Tel: +31 30 230 63 44
E-Mail: info@nji.nl
Website
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Main inclusive Youth-Work programmes and target groups
In the Netherlands, youth work plays an important role in promoting social inclusion for vulnerable young people. Programmes are often funded or supported by national and municipal authorities and implemented by NGOs, youth organisations and local youth workers.
One key approach is outreach and participatory youth work, which actively involves young people in shaping solutions to barriers they face. The NJi (Netherlands Youth Institute) provides guidance and tools for municipalities to implement inclusive youth work, focusing on participation, life skills and active citizenship. Youth participation is embedded in national policy through the Wet versterking participatie op decentraal niveau (2025), requiring municipalities to formalise youth involvement in local decision-making (jeugdparticipatie (only in Dutch)).
Specific programmes include:
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Inclusive Education Youth Events: Organised by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, these events bring together young people from mainstream and special education to co-create plans for inclusive learning environments. Their input shaped the national Beleidskader Met elkaar voor alle kinderen en jongeren, which aims for fully inclusive education by 2035 (overheid werkt samen met jongeren (only in Dutch)).
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Local anti-poverty youth work: Municipalities implement outreach programmes to support young people growing up in poverty, offering mentoring, extended learning time, and access to sports and cultural activities through youth funds. These programmes combine practical help with empowerment strategies (armoede aanpakken (only in Dutch)).
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Youth work for NEETs and migrant youth: Initiatives under the law Van school naar duurzaam werk (2024) link youth workers with schools and employers to support vulnerable youth in the transition to work, including NEETs and young people with a migrant background (school naar werk wet (only in Dutch)).
Target groups include NEETs, young people with a migrant or ethnic minority background, newly arrived refugees, homeless youth, and young people at risk of marginalisation or radicalisation. Youth workers provide guidance, mentoring and safe spaces for dialogue, often in cooperation with schools and social services.
Funding: While exact national figures are not published separately for youth work, these programmes are financed through municipal youth budgets, national education and social inclusion funds, and thematic programmes such as the Equal Opportunities Alliance and the National Youth Strategy (gelijke kansen alliantie (only in Dutch); nationale jeugdstrategie (only in Dutch)).