6.9 Awareness-raising about non-formal and informal learning and quality youth work
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On this page
Information providers / counselling structures
In Sweden, there are for the moment no sources of information and guidance that are directly organised or funded by public national authorities available to young people to learn about non-formal and informal learning and youth work.
Instead, there are interesting cases of digital youth work with national or regional funding, such as umo.se or youmo.se. More information about online youth guidance is available in section 7.7.
Fryshuset is a non-profit organisation that promotes empowerment and social inclusion of youth with a special focus on those who are at risk or already face exclusion. The financing comes from many different sources, including both public and private financiers and sponsors. Fryshuset combines schools, youth culture, social projects and projects connected to labour market and entrepreneurship. Fryshuset has its own meeting places in Stockholm (Hammarby Sjöstad, Skärholmen, Husby), Gothenburg, Malmö, Nybro, Östra Göinge, Borlänge and Copenhagen. Fryshuset's operations are also available in more places in Sweden, for example through agreements with municipalities and companies. Fryshuset also has digital meeting places, such as we_change and ungdomar.se, which helps them work with young people throughout Sweden.
Fryshuset's international network grows and they have cooperation and partnership agreements with organisations and cities across the globe, such as the UN Habitat, the Change House in Norway, Sosped in Finland and the city of Fortaleza, Brazil.
Awareness raising initiatives
Generally speaking, youth work in Sweden takes an inclusive position, aiming for to reach all youth, from a positive standing point were young people are seen a resource rather a problem. At the local level however, most efforts are done to reach to a diverse youth group from socially more deprived neighborhoods. This is done because of existing economic restrictions, but also based on the requests and needs of young people.
Youth work is a municipal responsibility, both when it comes to outreach activities and to youth centres and youth clubs. The work may be carried out and/or governed by different entities, such as municipalities, CSOs, faith communities or schools. Youth work takes place in different localities, such as youth centres and clubs, sport facilities, schools, churches etc.
The Swedish Government has though initiated a number of comprehensive programmes and actions, where the target group consists of young people in a more vulnerable position, such as NEET, young people at risk for violence and radicalisation, young people with a migrant or ethnic minority background, young LGBTI-persons, young disabled, and lately, also newly arrived young migrants. These government actions usually target professionals working in health care or in schools, in social work, in police force and in organised leisure, including both youth centres and sports. Even volunteers active in CSOs and in faith communities are targeted. More details are presented in section 4.7, Youth work to foster social inclusion.