The Alliance of Youth Worker Associations (AYWA) reaffirms its commitment to shaping a strong, sustainable, and recognised youth work sector across Europe. At a time when social cohesion, democratic participation, and youth wellbeing face growing challenges, youth work must be recognised not merely as an optional service, but as an essential component of inclusive and democratic societies. Youth work plays a critical role in supporting young people through complex transitions, fostering freedom of choice, emancipation, active citizenship, social justice, and equality. It builds the confidence, skills, and solidarity that young people need to face complex challenges and to participate fully in society.
Investing in youth work means investing in the rights, well-being, and active role of young people, and in their capacity to lead, participate, and build more democratic, just, and inclusive communities. Youth work recognises young people as they are and where they are, and it is crucial that we are available and accessible to them. AYWA stands at the forefront of advocating for the recognition, protection, and development of youth work and those who deliver it. This position paper outlines our vision, demands, and strategic priorities for securing a future where youth work is valued, resourced, and empowered.
We call upon European institutions, national governments, and civil society to take concrete steps towards a long-term vision for youth work, based on the following three strategic pillars.
1. Structural Recognition of Youth Work as a Profession
AYWA advocates for the full professional recognition of youth work, grounded in legal, institutional, and policy frameworks at both national and European levels.
Recognition must go beyond symbolic acknowledgement and include:
- The development and adoption of dedicated legislative frameworks that define youth work as a distinct profession, with clear roles, responsibilities, and ethical standards.
(By “distinct profession”, we mean a defined field with its own purpose, methods, competences, and ethical foundations, while remaining complementary to related sectors such as education, social work, or health.) - The establishment of sustainable funding mechanisms, ensuring stability and continuity in youth work provision.
- Integration of youth work into broader national and European policy agendas.
Youth workers must be involved in co-creating policies that affect them and young people, particularly in education, social inclusion, mental health, and community development.
Youth work should be recognised as a contributor to cross-sectoral fields such as education, employment, health (including mental health), and democratic participation. - Provision of access to continuous professional development, career pathways, and support mechanisms, including the integration of youth work into national qualification systems where possible.
AYWA recognises the diversity of youth work traditions across Europe, but strongly supports the establishment of qualification and recognition systems that enhance the quality, visibility, and legitimacy of youth work as a professional field. - Support for knowledge-building, research, and formal education for youth workers, strengthening the evidence base and linking practice, training, and policy-making.
Only through such a comprehensive recognition approach can youth workers access adequate working conditions, fair remuneration, continuous learning, and a clear status within the wider ecosystem of social and educational services.
2. Support for Strong, Independent Youth Worker Associations
AYWA emphasises the vital role of youth workers associations in representing, supporting, and empowering practitioners.
Institutional actors at all levels are urged to:
- Promote the creation, recognition, and funding of national youth worker associations across Europe.
- Involve these associations as legitimate stakeholders in policy consultation, co-creation of strategies, and implementation monitoring.
- Guarantee the independence, diversity, and representativeness of such bodies, to ensure they can effectively advocate for the interests and rights of youth workers.
Representation must include diverse practitioners — including those with lived experience of migration, marginalisation, or different educational and professional backgrounds. - Provide dedicated financial support mechanisms at both national and European levels, to strengthen the capacity, outreach, and long-term viability of youth worker associations.
A robust network of national and transnational associations is crucial to advancing solidarity, shared learning, and collective agency within the profession.This network must also be guided by core values such as inclusion, respect, transparency, collaboration, and a commitment to the ethical practice of youth work.
3. Development and Implementation of European Standards for Quality, Competences, and Ethics in Youth Work
To ensure consistent quality and accountability across diverse contexts, AYWA calls for the development of a common European framework that establishes:
- Minimum quality standards for youth work programmes and services, safeguarding young people’s rights, well-being, and active participation.
- A set of core professional competences for youth workers, aligned with lifelong learning, equality, and youth rights principles.
- Transparent validation systems that acknowledge competences acquired through formal, non-formal, and informal learning, enabling cross-border recognition and mobility.
- Ethical guidelines that foster integrity, trust, and respect in all youth work interactions.
- Support structures for capacity-building of youth worker associations and practitioners, enabling them to implement and adapt these standards effectively at national and local levels.
Such a framework should be co-developed with practitioners, educators, young people, and institutional partners. It must be flexible enough to reflect the diversity of local practices and traditions — meaning adaptable to different socio-political contexts and organisational realities — while providing a shared foundation for mutual recognition, professional development, and transnational cooperation.
Our Commitment
AYWA is ready to play an active role in shaping this shared future for youth work.
As the transnational voice of youth worker associations across Europe, we bring together diverse national realities and shared professional values to advocate for stronger recognition and development of youth work. We offer our expertise, networks, and experience to co-create sustainable solutions that reflect the needs of youth workers and the aspirations of young people.
It is time to move from recognition in principle to recognition in practice.
To support this transition, AYWA will develop practical guidelines and tools — including reference checklists and indicators — to help national associations and policy-makers translate this paper into actionable measures adapted to their contexts. The future of youth work in Europe depends on our collective will to value, protect, and invest in those who support young people through complex transitions — offering trust, care, and opportunities for personal, social, and professional growth. Finally, AYWA expresses its openness to structured dialogue and cooperation with European institutions, national governments, and civil society actors to advance the recognition and development of youth work.
We stand ready to engage in joint advocacy, consultation, and follow-up actions to ensure that youth work is not only recognised but also strengthened and safeguarded for generations to come.
