10.3 Support to youth work
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Policy legal framework
As mentioned in the previous chapters, in the National Youth Strategy 2023-2027 there is a chapter on Youth Work.
In terms of the key challenges identified in the area of youth work, the Strategy provides appropriate long-term goals and specific measures for addressing the respective problems. The long-term strategic goals are:
- Youth work is formally, politically and socially recognized as a key approach to support the authentic development of young people
- Established functional system to guarantee sustainable and quality youth work,
- Increased availability, attractiveness and awareness of youth programs work that corresponds to social trends and the current needs and challenges of young people, especially for the vulnerable categories of young people,
- The profession of youth worker is recognized, developed and promoted.
Youth work is complementary to formal education, social work with youth, special education and rehabilitation for youth, and other occupations that work with youth. The most common tasks of youth work are: supporting the personal and social development of youth by providing organized and structured support for youth, as well as facilitating the active participation of youth in community life. Youth work uses the methods of non-formal education, mentoring, coaching, peer counseling, information and informal experiential learning.
Youth work also contributes to the development of young people's self-confidence and socialization, their sustainable independence and strengthening of their abilities, as well as the development of their tolerance and the strengthening of youth responsibility.
From the new academic year 2023/2024, for the first time in Macedonia, master's studies in youth work are being opened. With the program that will be implemented at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University "St. Cyril and Methodius" (UKIM), students will be able to acquire the title of Master in Youth Work.
The program will include 4 compulsory and 8 optional subjects. Some of the subjects refer to management in youth work, methodology or ways of creating projects and research, mental health of children and youth, children's rights and advocacy, social protection, youth empowerment, psychosocial support, etc.
Thus, for the first time in North Macedonia, certified professionals were recognized as youth workers, in accordance with the National Portfolio of Youth Workers.
The Union for Youth Work in all processes cooperates with the National Youth Council of Macedonia, as the highest representative body of young people in the country. In addition, cooperation is continuously realized with the Coalition of youth organizations SEGA, as well as with other organizations offering youth work that are not part of the Union for Youth Work.
Internationally, the Union for Youth Work cooperates with other networks of youth job providers, youth workers' associations, other organizations active in the field of youth work, and universities that offer education for youth workers.
Funding
Information regarding the funding can be found in Chapter 5.6.
Cooperation
There is certain level of cooperation between the Union for Youth Work, Agency on Youth and Sport, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, local self-governance, Center for Adult Education, Center for Vocational Education and Training and other relevant governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations, but as the process of establishing and formalizing youth work is still in its infancy, there is no publicly available information on whether and how national authorities have established or promoted frameworks of cooperation between all youth work stakeholders.