From Vision to reality: Recognising and professionalising youth work in North Macedonia

Can you tell us a little about yourself – who are you and what do you do? 

Hello, my name is Zoran Ilieski and I am the Executive Director of the Macedonian coalition of youth organisations, SEGA. I have been active in the youth sector for over 20 years working in areas of youth policy, youth participation, youth employment, strategic development and civil society strengthening. Due to my involvement in lobbying and advocacy for youth work, I was fortunate to be a part of the team that developed the first National Youth Strategy in North Macedonia. In 2011, I became Executive Director of SEGA where I continue to lobby and advocate on behalf of young people and youth organisations.

What is SEGA? 

SEGA was established in 2004 as a national platform (coalition) for youth organisations. It is dedicated to lobbying for legislation, supporting youth activism, providing access to information for young people, and ensuring the participation of young people in talking about and resolving problems related to young people. We have a central office and four regional offices which ensures that we can effectively work with the whole country. People often ask what the acronym SEGA means, but “sega” is actually a word in the Macedonian language. It means “NOW”, and symbolises a call for action and urgency in addressing youth-related issues.

What is the current situation of youth work in North Macedonia?

Youth work in North Macedonia has undergone significant transformation over the past 20 years. It has evolved from informal activities to a more structured and recognised profession. This is because of developments like the passing of the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies in 2020. This marked a key moment where youth work was formally acknowledged as an organised system of activities with an educational function. The personal and social development of young people through non-formal and informal learning was finally being recognised.

Also in 2020, the first accredited adult education programme for the occupation of ‘Youth Worker’ was introduced. By December 2022, 24 individuals had successfully completed the programme and for the first time we had officially recognised and certified youth workers operating in the country. These initiatives were instrumental in professionalising youth work and ensuring that practitioners are equipped with the necessary competencies to effectively engage with young people.

A very exciting addition to all of this is that in the academic year 2023/2024, a master’s studies in youth work at the Faculty of Philosophy in the University “St. Cyril and Methodius” (UKIM) was introduced. This programme offers advanced education and training for individuals pursuing careers in youth work, underscoring the country’s commitment to elevating the profession through higher education.

What does the implementation of the European Youth Work Agenda look like in North Macedonia? 

North Macedonia has been very proactive in aligning its national youth work policies with the European Youth Work Agenda (a strategic framework for youth work development). The current National Youth Strategy (2016-2025) serves as a foundational document because it outlines key youth work areas such as youth participation, youth information, and locally based youth work. It also includes education, employment, culture, sports, health, and overall quality of life. This strategy particularly reflects one of the priority areas of the Agenda, that of taking a multi-sectoral approach to youth policy (beyond the youth work community of practice). It also embraces the Agenda by emphasising the need for the active involvement of young people in decision-making processes.

In 2017, there was an initiative between SEGA and two other organisations that was submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science. This initiative pushed for the recognition of the profession of youth workers within the National Qualifications Framework. This led to the establishment of a working group dedicated to defining occupational standards for youth workers. Although this initiative was clearly some years before the introduction of the Agenda, it is something that continues to this day and is strengthened by the Agenda .

Can you share some highlights about your national process? 

Yes, we have numerous active national processes. As I already mentioned we have now the formal recognition of youth workers through the accreditation of educational programmes, including the most recent introduction of the master’s programme. By the way, apart from providing North Macedonia with highly qualified youth workers, this programme opens doors for new research into youth work and learning. In general, the qualifications and the certification of youth workers has done much to professionalise the field in our country. It has also helped to move us towards standardised competencies and practices.

Strategic partnerships are very important for the ongoing developments in youth work. We have collaborations between governmental bodies, educational institutions, and civil society organisations. These collaborations are crucial for policy reforms and the development of new youth work initiatives.

While there is a need for more comprehensive data to understand the effects of this, we (the youth work sector in North Macedonia) are supporting youth work through the introduction of youth work-based events and festivals. At these events and festivals, the people involved are promoting best practices and facilitating knowledge exchange among the practitioners who attend them.

Imagine in 5 years time: What will youth work look like in North Macedonia if the European Youth Work Agenda implementation develops the way you are hoping for? 

Looking ahead, if the implementation of the European Youth Work Agenda progresses as envisioned, I hope for the following developments in North Macedonia.

I would really like to see greater and enhanced professionalisation of youth work in the whole country. This would be served by the already established system for the education and certification of youth workers – but more established and more developed. I would also like to see this system supporting the continuous professional development of youth workers, something that we are currently not so strong at.

I would also like to see us having a stronger youth and youth work policy framework. This would be with comprehensive policies that integrate youth work into the broader social, educational, and economic strategies that already exist in society and so reduce the isolation of young people and youth work. This, in turn, I believe, would help society to understand the value of youth work in societal development.

I want to see increased youth participation. We need empowered young individuals actively engaging in policy formulation and implementation. We need their voices influencing decisions at all levels. This is something that the Agenda can support us in making a reality.

As with many countries, we lack sustainable funding models, we are reliant on project funding and miss structural funding. We need to be working towards the establishment of diversified and stable funding sources that not only support youth work initiatives but support the everyday costs of running a youth organisation. This would mean that youth organisations could focus on enabling long-term planning and impact rather than simply surviving.

As a community of practice, we need to raise awareness among ourselves of the role of youth researchers. We need ongoing research, analysis, assessment, and evaluation of youth work practice and the needs of young people. Such research can inform policy and practice, and lead to innovative and effective youth work.

How do you feel about youth work and the future?

In conclusion, I would say that we, the youth work sector, are committed to advancing youth work in North Macedonia. This is not about one organisation, it is all of us from the local youth club to the country-wide networks to the European connected organisations. Although we have experienced many advancements over the years, the European Youth Work Agenda is an anchor point for those advancements and a foundation for future developments. Through collaborative efforts and strategic investments, we aspire to create an environment where youth work thrives and young people are empowered to contribute meaningfully to society.

Zoran Ilijeski

Zoran Ilijeski works for SEGA, the coalition of youth organisations in North Macedonia. He provides an insight into the developments taking place in the Macedonian youth work sector.