Ewa Krzaklewska Knihy

Youth work, alongside effective government policies, is crucial for equipping young people with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for civic engagement and social action. Currently, youth work is gaining policy momentum at the European level, particularly following a 2017 resolution by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which has reinvigorated its presence in the agendas of both the Council of Europe and the European Union youth strategies. This book examines how youth work practitioners acquire their skills, exploring both formal and non-formal education opportunities and their context within the broader recognition of youth work. It begins with the understanding that formal education involves several steps beneficial to practitioners and presents findings from a mapping study, enriched by thematic contributions. The research highlights a growing array of opportunities across Europe, revealing a spectrum of conditions for youth workers, from well-established educational frameworks to those needing significant development. Youth worker education encompasses not just training offers but also financial resources, legislation, support systems, competence frameworks, quality standards, ethical guidelines, and more. The aim is to enhance the visibility of youth work and promote its recognition as a legitimate field among various professions engaging with young people.