Understand the social contexts of the lives of the young people and support them in navigating these

This involves:

• Knowledge: Having information about situation, status and condition of (youth in) society; Understanding socio-economic factors, cultural biases, family and community dynamics; Knowing young people’s digital cultures; Being aware of diversity of (digital) identities young people harbour, experiment with and project; Being aware of safety risks in young people’s (digital) context
• Skills: Analysis; Information management; Finding out where young people are and how they communicate; Facilitating exploratory conversations
• Attitudes and values: Curiosity; Openness; Empathy; Appreciating young people’s social context; Being conscious of personal biases.

Build positive, non-judgemental, trusting relationships with young people

This involves:

• Knowledge: Understanding the physical, emotional, and cognitive changes that occur during adolescence; Being familiar with current trends, hobbies, and interests of young people; Understanding how young people build and maintain relationships, and contemporary factors influencing them (e.g. digitalisation, pandemic)
• Skills: Democratic leadership; Active listening; Communication and engagement skills; Navigating relationship-building processes
• Attitudes and values: Openness; Empathy; Self-awareness; Confidentiality; Interest in young people’s views; Trustworthiness; Honesty; Transparency; Valuing and respecting the different cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and identities of young people; Being conscious of personal biases; Having trust in processes; Strong belief in capacities of young people; Willingness to learn about, communicate and engage with young people “where they are” and through the diverse platforms they are currently using. 

Demonstrate openness in discussing young people’s personal issues

This involves:

• Knowledge: Ethics of youth work
• Skills: Management of one’s own emotions; Emotional literacy; Responsiveness
• Attitudes and values: Active listening; Openness; Patience; Sensitivity; Emotional stability; Confidentiality; Empathy; Being conscious of personal biases; Adaptability; Willingness to support young people through challenging times.

Relate to young people as equals

This involves:

• Knowledge: Ethics of youth work; Being aware of power implications in youth work relationships
• Skills: Representing one’s own identity as a youth worker; Communicating clearly and creating space for young people to claim
• Attitudes and values: Power-sharing; Having trust in young people’s agency; Being ready to challenge and be challenged; Solidarity.

Address the needs and aspirations of young people

This involves:

• Knowledge: Familiarity with youth work methods and approaches; Knowing one’s own boundaries, and when collaboration and referral are needed
• Skills: Using different (digital) tools for mapping needs and aspirations of young people; Co-creation of strategies and plans; Progress monitoring; Identifying and providing needed expertise and support (not necessarily one’s own); Mentoring and coaching skills
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Agile mind-set.

Support young diverse people in identifying their learning needs, wishes and styles, taking any specific needs into consideration

This involves:

• Knowledge: Learning theories (learning styles, preferences, etc.); Non-formal education and learning; Understanding diverse backgrounds and challenges of young people you work with; One-on-one youth work
• Skills: Identification of learning aims; Needs analyses; Facilitation of self-reflection and learning processes; Inclusive educational approaches; Inclusive methods; Facilitation of co-creation and young people taking the lead
• Attitudes and values: Openness; Empathy; Sensitivity to diversity; Having trust in young people’s agency; Agile mind-set.

Create safe, motivating and inclusive learning environments for individuals and groups

This involves:

• Knowledge: Learning theories (learning styles, preferences, etc.); Non-formal education and learning; Group dynamics; Multiple education, training and learning methods and tools in different learning settings, including digital and online
• Skills: Motivating young people; Coaching; Feedback; Creativity; Inclusive educational approaches; Group management; Learning facilitation; Debriefing; Problem-solving; Mediation and conflict transformation; Using a range of educational methods and (digital) tools, including ones that develop creativity and foster motivation for learning; Facilitating learning by doing
• Attitudes and values: Willingness to experiment; Support for young people taking the lead; Acceptance of the positive learning potential of conflict.

Support young people in reflecting on their own learning

This involves:

• Knowledge: Ethics of youth work; Reflection and assessment tools
• Skills: Training; Coaching; Mentoring; Feedback; Process facilitation 
• Attitudes and values: Empathy; Openness; Readiness to challenge others.

Inform young people about learning opportunities and support them in using them

This involves:

• Knowledge: Relevant educational / professional guidance sources; Learning opportunities inside and outside the community; Local and international education providers; One-on-one youth work
• Skills: Information management; Verifying (online) sources and identifying validity of information; Motivating young people; Creating opportunities for implementation of young people’s learning
• Attitudes and values: Curiosity; Support for young people taking the lead.

Assist young people in identifying and taking responsibility for the role(s) they want to have in their communities and societies

This involves:

• Knowledge: Politics, local & global issues; Society; Power relations; Policies relevant to young people
• Skills: Facilitating exploratory conversations with young people; Critical thinking; Active listening; Political literacy; Media literacy
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Curiosity about global & local issues and trends; Support for young people taking the lead.

Support young people in identifying goals, developing strategies and organising individual and collective action for social change

This involves:

• Knowledge: Interests and concerns of young people; Issues that young people are passionate about
• Skills: Participatory decision-making; Democratic leadership; Active listening; Critical thinking; Planning for action and change; Group management; Facilitation; Risk assessment; Collaboration
• Attitudes and values: Power-sharing; Having trust in young people’s agency; Solidarity; Responsible risk-taking, Willingness to experiment.

Support young people in developing their critical thinking and understanding about society and power relations, how social and political systems work, their consequences for diverse young people and how they (as young people) can have influence and develop agency

This involves:

• Knowledge: Politics, local and global issues; Society; Power relations; Policies relevant to young people; Understanding (digital) media power
• Skills: Navigating and facilitating difficult conversations; Political literacy; Active listening; Critical thinking; Facilitation; Advocacy; Media literacy
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Curiosity about global & local issues and trends; Solidarity; Responsible risk-taking, Willingness to experiment; Being ready to challenge and be challenged; Acceptance of the positive learning potential of conflict.

Support young people in developing their competence and confidence for being active in their communities and societies

This involves:

• Knowledge: Politics, public policies, local & global issues; Participatory and democracy mechanisms
• Skills: Coaching; Empathy; Communication; Feedback; Facilitation; Action planning; Political literacy; Media literacyAttitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Responsible risk-taking; Willingness to experiment; Solidarity.

Actively involve young people in shaping policies and programmes, especially those that will affect them

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth policies; Public policies; Participatory and democracy mechanisms; Policies and programmes of the organisation; Organisational management  and development; Understanding ethos of an organisation
• Skills: Participatory process facilitation; Consultation; Advocacy; Needs analyses; Participatory decision-making
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Transparency; Personal initiative; Responsible risk-taking.

Assist young people in identifying and taking responsibility for the role(s) they want to have in their communities and societies

This involves:

• Knowledge: Politics, local & global issues; Society; Power relations; Policies relevant to young people
• Skills: Facilitating exploratory conversations with young people; Critical thinking; Active listening; Political literacy; Media literacy
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Curiosity about global & local issues and trends; Support for young people taking the lead.

Support young people in identifying goals, developing strategies and organising individual and collective action for social change

This involves:

• Knowledge: Interests and concerns of young people; Issues that young people are passionate about
• Skills: Participatory decision-making; Democratic leadership; Active listening; Critical thinking; Planning for action and change; Group management; Facilitation; Risk assessment; Collaboration
• Attitudes and values: Power-sharing; Having trust in young people’s agency; Solidarity; Responsible risk-taking, Willingness to experiment.

Support young people in developing their critical thinking and understanding about society and power relations, how social and political systems work, their consequences for diverse young people and how they (as young people) can have influence and develop agency

This involves:

• Knowledge: Politics, local and global issues; Society; Power relations; Policies relevant to young people; Understanding (digital) media power
• Skills: Navigating and facilitating difficult conversations; Political literacy; Active listening; Critical thinking; Facilitation; Advocacy; Media literacy
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Curiosity about global & local issues and trends; Solidarity; Responsible risk-taking, Willingness to experiment; Being ready to challenge and be challenged; Acceptance of the positive learning potential of conflict.

Support young people in developing their competence and confidence for being active in their communities and societies

This involves:

• Knowledge: Politics, public policies, local & global issues; Participatory and democracy mechanisms
• Skills: Coaching; Empathy; Communication; Feedback; Facilitation; Action planning; Political literacy; Media literacyAttitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Responsible risk-taking; Willingness to experiment; Solidarity.

Actively involve young people in shaping policies and programmes, especially those that will affect them

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth policies; Public policies; Participatory and democracy mechanisms; Policies and programmes of the organisation; Organisational management  and development; Understanding ethos of an organisation
• Skills: Participatory process facilitation; Consultation; Advocacy; Needs analyses; Participatory decision-making
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Transparency; Personal initiative; Responsible risk-taking.

To support young people in actively contributing to the development of a culture of human rights and democracy in their communities and societies:  

Support young people in developing their competence for living in diverse societies, notably in relation to values and attitudes towards diversity

This involves:

• Knowledge: Human rights; Cultural awareness; Diversity; Global issues
• Skills: Navigating and facilitating difficult conversations; Communication; Intercultural learning; Human rights education; Debriefing
• Attitudes and values: Empathy; Tolerance of ambiguity; Solidarity; Self-awareness; Emotional stability; Sensitivity; Distance from social roles; Clarity on one’s own values; Being conscious of personal biases.

Promote inclusion of and exchange between young people who come from diverse backgrounds at home and abroad so that they can learn about other countries, cultural and social contexts, political beliefs, religions, levels of access, abilities and lifestyles, among others  

This involves:

• Knowledge: Human rights; Diversity; Cultural awareness; Foreign languages; Identity theories
• Skills: Facilitation; Intercultural learning; Human rights education; Group dynamics and management; Mediation; Conflict transformation; Inclusive education
• Attitudes and values: Empathy; Tolerance of ambiguity; Solidarity; Self-awareness; Emotional stability; Sensitivity; Distance from social roles; Clarity on one’s own values; Being conscious of personal biases.

Work creatively on enhancing young people’s competence for dealing with social, political and interpersonal conflicts constructively

This involves:

• Knowledge: Conflict (transformation) theories; Human rights and freedoms; Understanding notions of discrimination, oppression, racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, ableism, homophobia, fascism, etc.
• Skills: Navigating and facilitating difficult conversations; Conflict transformation; Mediation; Dealing with unexpected situations; Addressing consistently expressed hate, discrimination, oppression, racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, ableism, homophobia, fascism and other expressions of hate and disregard of other humans in the youth work setting
• Attitudes and values: Openness to be challenged; Readiness to challenge others; Orientation towards the common good; Respect for others; Tolerance of ambiguity; Clarity on one’s own values; Being conscious of personal biases.

Support young people in recognising and working against injustice, oppression, discrimination and all other forms of human rights abuse, individually and in collaboration with others

This involves:

• Knowledge: Politics, public policies, local & global issues; Human rights and freedoms; Notions of discrimination, oppression, racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, ableism, homophobia, fascism, etc.; Democracy mechanisms
• Skills: Coaching; Empathy; Communication; Feedback; Navigating and facilitating difficult conversations; Participatory action planning; Addressing consistently expressed hate, discrimination, oppression, racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, ableism, homophobia, fascism and other expressions of hate and disregard of other humans in the youth work setting; Political literacy; Media literacy; Co-operation
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Responsible risk-taking; Willingness to experiment; Orientation towards common good.

Plan and apply a range of participatory methods of reflection and evaluation

This involves:

• Knowledge: Inclusive evaluation approaches; Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning principles (MEAL)
• Skills: Participatory evaluation methods; Facilitation of reflection, evaluation and feedback processes; (Self-)reflection; Feedback
• Attitudes and values: Personal initiative; Openness to constructive criticism and feedback; Having trust in learning value coming from reflection, evaluation and feedback.

Use the results of evaluation to improve youth work practice

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth work methods; Capacity-building providers and opportunities
• Skills: Analyses and making sense of data, evidence and insights; Self-management; Change implementation methods
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in learning value coming from reflection, evaluation and feedback; Openness to the views of others; Personal initiative; Readiness to adapt  to unforeseen changes; Orientation towards the common good.

Stay up-to-date on research on the situation and needs of the young people and on youth work

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth research approaches, actors and sources
• Skills: Analysis; Information management; Making sense of and contextualising research findings
• Attitudes and values: Curiosity; Openness; Personal initiative; Readiness to; Orientation towards the common good.

Actively evaluate teamwork with colleagues and use the results to improve it

This involves:

• Knowledge: Teamwork and Team-learning theories
• Skills: Evaluation; Co-operation; Assertive communication; Partnership-building; Active listening; Feedback; Conflict transformation; Mediation; Action planning
• Attitudes and values: Being constructive; Being ready to challenge colleagues and be challenged; Curiosity; Trust; Orientation towards the common good.

Recognise and evaluate your own needs, boundaries and limits in different youth work contexts and develop strategies for addressing these, as appropriate

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth work Portfolio and other self-assessment & self-reflection tools
• Skills: Self-reflection; Evaluation; Assertive communication; Feedback; Action planning; (Strategic) co-operation
• Attitudes and values: Personal initiative; Being constructive; Being ready to challenge colleagues and be challenged; Awareness of risks; Willingness to explore professional boundaries and referral practices.

Reflect on how to innovate your own youth work practice, and experiment with new approaches

This involves:

• Knowledge: Teamwork and Team-learning theories; Youth work approaches and related fields
• Skills: Evaluation; Research; Progress monitoring; Visioning; Co-operation; Assertive communication; Partnership-building
• Attitudes and values: Openness; Being constructive; Being ready to challenge colleagues and be challenged; Curiosity; Trust; Willingness to experiment; Tolerance towards ambiguity; Agile mindset; Orientation towards the common good.

Involve young people in the development of youth projects

This involves:

• Knowledge: Project development; Youth empowerment and participation principles; Funding sources
• Skills: Participatory process and project design facilitation and management; Ideation; Conceptualisation; Negotiation; Creativity in looking for resources; Fundraising
• Attitudes and values: Open-mindedness; Belief that young people are experts for their lives; Trust; Awareness of power balance.

Involve young people in the implementation of youth projects

This involves:

• Knowledge: Project management frameworks; Human resources (volunteer) management; Resource management
• Skills: Facilitating participatory project team meetings; Mentoring; Progress monitoring; Facilitating learning by doing; Management (including finances); Leadership; Delegation; Planning; Communication; Networking
• Attitudes and values: Open-mindedness; Having trust in young people’s agency; Capacity to adapt to new / unforeseen situations; Self-confidence; Support for young people taking the lead.

Involve young people in the communication and visibility of youth work projects and programmes

This involves:

• Knowledge: Communication and media tools (online); Visibility principles; Ethics of youth work.
• Skills: Facilitating learning by doing; Mentoring; Creativity; Presentation skills and public speaking; Report writing; Capacity to adapt your discourse to different audiences
• Attitudes and values: Open-mindedness; Having trust in young people’s agency; Willingness to learn about, experiment with and use novel communication and visibility tools and platforms; Self-confidence; Support for young people taking the lead.

Involve young people in planning and organising evaluation of youth work projects and programmes

This involves:

• Knowledge: Inclusive and participatory evaluation approaches and tools
• Skills: Facilitating participatory evaluation processes; Participatory evaluation methods; Democratic leadership; Process management; Data management; Research techniques
• Attitudes and values: Openness to constructive criticism and feedback; Having trust in young people’s agency; Support for young people taking the lead.

Prioritise collective learning and working with colleagues to develop practice

This involves:

• Knowledge: Teamwork; Available learning resources and opportunities
• Skills: Assertive communication; Feedback; Managing own learning needs in collective learning settings; Assessing own professional boundaries
• Attitudes and values: Life-long learning; Curiosity to explore concepts and practice; Healthy professional relations; Solidarity; Self-care.

Share relevant information and practices within your youth work community of practice

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth work community of practice; Youth services in your context.  
• Skills: Documentation; Communication; Information management; Presentation skills and public speaking; Networking
• Attitudes and values: Solidarity; Willingness to share resources; Life-long learning; Orientation towards the common good.

Engage with youth work-related processes, as appropriate to the needs of your youth work context, for example, recognition

This involves:

• Knowledge: Local / National / European policies relevant for your youth work field
• Skills: Analyses of research findings; Building arguments; Collaboration; Advocacy
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in importance of engagement in shaping youth work field; Solidarity; Orientation towards the common good.

Gather and document evidence of the impact of the youth work you do

This involves:

• Knowledge: Indicators of impact
• Skills: Data and evidence management; Research techniques
• Attitudes and values: Curiosity; Openness to critical findings.

Involve young people in activities to evaluate and communicate the positive impacts of the youth work you do to stakeholders who can support its development

This involves:

• Knowledge: Inclusive and participatory evaluation approaches; Communication and media (online) tools
• Skills: Facilitating participatory team meetings; Participatory methods; Research techniques; Communication; Presentation skills; Advocacy
• Attitudes and values: Strong belief in young people’s capacity; Transparency; Accountability.

Collaborate on the development of visibility activities for the positive impact of youth work

This involves:

• Knowledge: Communication and media tools (online); Visibility principles; Ethics of youth work
• Skills: Creativity; Capacity to adapt your discourse to different audiences; Co-operation
• Attitudes and values: Open-mindedness; Trust; Willingness to learn about, experiment with and use novel visibility tools and platforms; Self-confidence.

Co-operate with others to shape youth policies

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth policy concepts, actors and mechanisms at different levels (local to European)
• Skills:    Visioning; Analysing; Conceptualising; Communication; Networking; Co-operation; Partnership-building; Democratic leadership; Advocacy; Negotiation; Presentation skills and public speaking
• Attitudes and values: Willingness to partner with other actors; Curiosity; Open- mindedness; Patience; Tolerance of ambiguity; Personal initiative.

Advocate for the participation of young people (especially those with whom you work) in shaping the development of youth policies

This involves:

• Knowledge: Participatory and democracy mechanisms; Youth policies; Public policies
• Skills: Advocacy; Participatory planning; Analyses of research findings; Presentation skills and public speaking
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Personal initiative.

Seek links between youth work practice and policies that can support the development of youth work

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth work practice; Youth policies and other frameworks in your context
• Skills: Analysing; Planning; Conceptualising; Visioning. Attitudes and values: Personal initiative; Being constructive

Reflect on the diversity of eco-systems the young people live in and on what this means for the youth work you do with them

This involves:

• Knowledge: Youth work approaches; Having information about situation, status and condition of youth you engage with; Understanding socio-economic factors, cultural biases, family and community dynamics influencing young people; Being aware of diversity of (digital) identities young people harbour, experiment with and project; Being aware of safety risks in young people’s (digital) context
• Skills: Analysis; Information management; Facilitating reflective sessions; Assessing if referral to other services / sectors is beneficial; Design of youth work; Being proactive
• Attitudes and values: Curiosity; Openness; Empathy; Being conscious of personal biases; Willingness to identify and reflect on implications and respond to modern-day challenges and emerging trends.

Develop your sensitivity for signs of change(s), in attitude behaviour, in issues they find concerning, in the atmosphere in the group (among others) among the young people you work with and in their context

This involves:

• Knowledge: Changes; Systems
• Skills: Observation; Analyses; Reflection; Critical conversation
• Attitudes and values: Open-mindedness; Honesty; Personal initiative.

Design responses to challenges and opportunities you and the young people you work with see emerging and think are important for the community and society

This involves:

• Knowledge: Local and global issues; Societal trends
• Skills: Political literacy; Active listening; Critical thinking; Facilitation; Advocacy; Media literacy; Ability to adapt to changing circumstances; Contextualising; Planning; Risk-mitigation
• Attitudes and values: Curiosity about global & local issues and trends; Solidarity; Having trust in young people’s agency; Responsible risk-taking: Willingness to experiment; Willingness to identify, reflect on implications and respond to modern-day challenges and emerging trends.

Make contingency plans and design youth work activities that can be adapted easily

This involves:

• Knowledge: Contingency planning principles; Having a framework within which your youth work functions (and what may change)
• Skills: Forward thinking; Scenario development; Resourcefulness; Planning
• Attitudes and values: Adaptability; Open-mindedness; Having trust in young people’s agency; Willingness to experiment; Tolerating ambiguity.

Develop strategic co-operation and partnership with colleagues from other parts of your organisation, other organisations, and in other sectors to support your youth work

This involves:

• Knowledge: Understanding the organisation, framework and eco-system of your youth work; Partnership-building principles; Societal and policy expectations of youth work
• Skills: Ability to position your youth work within the eco-system; Ability to present your youth work compellingly; Co-operation; Partnership-building; Assertive communication; Advocacy; Negotiation
• Attitudes and values: Confidence to co-operate strategically with other sectors; Open-mindedness; Trust; Willingness to explore links and synergies.

Advocate for a youth perspective to be included in other sectors’ policies, practices and services within and beyond your organisation

This involves:

• Knowledge: Having a youth perspective concept; Understanding the ethos of your organisation; Having a policy eco-system and actors relevant for young people in your context
• Skills: Advocacy; Capacity to adapt your discourse to different audiences; Presentation skills and public speaking
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Willingness to stand-up for young people; Orientation towards common good.

Support colleagues from other parts of your organisation, other organisations and in other sectors to develop attitude, experience and skills, and act towards youth perspective integration in their respective fields

This involves:

• Knowledge: Having a youth perspective concept; Having a policy eco-system relevant for young people in your context
• Skills: Peer education; Coaching; Mentoring; Information management
• Attitudes and values: Having trust in young people’s agency; Open-mindedness; Trust; Self-confidence; Willingness to share know-how from your practice.