From 6 to 9 October 2026, the Council of Europe Youth Department and the Directorate for Youth, Non-Formal Education and Voluntary Organisations (DJEPVA), part of the French Ministry of Sport, Youth and Community Life, held a training course at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg for public officials working in the youth field. Organised within the framework of France’s National Training Plan, it was the second edition of the course, following an initial session in April 2025.

The course brought together 20 participants, mainly French officials from the Regional Academic Delegations for Youth, Engagement and Sport (DRAJES) and the Departmental Services for Youth, Engagement and Sport (SDJES). Officials from equivalent services in Belgium and Italy also took part.

The co-operation between the Council of Europe and DJEPVA aims to bring European priorities into dialogue with national responsibilities and local realities. It also seeks to highlight the role of local and regional services and strengthen partnerships with youth-sector stakeholders.

Intercultural learning was a central theme throughout the course. Participants explored how to take account of the diverse experiences and realities of young people in their professional practice, and how to translate this understanding into action suited to local contexts. Discussions also highlighted the contribution of intercultural learning to the development of European partnerships and to the quality of youth policy and youth work. Participants considered ways to strengthen cooperation between stakeholders of the youth sector and develop new European partnerships.

The course also examined how youth policies are developed and implemented at European, national and local levels. Discussions addressed young people’s participation in local and regional life, with reference to the revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life. Other topics included meaningful youth participation and the integration of young people’s perspectives into public policymaking.

Participants were introduced to Council of Europe resources and European funding opportunities. The aim was to provide them with the guidance and tools needed to design and implement European projects, and to make the European dimension a means of strengthening the quality of their work with young people.

Participants also had the opportunity to discuss European and international co-operation on youth policy with France’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Pap Ndiaye.