Written by Nik Paddison, Photo by Bor Slana
During the “Exchange Forum on the European Youth Work Agenda” that took place from 1-4 December in Skopje, we took a moment to reflect on the major European youth work events from 2025 with Tina Kosi from Slovenia. We asked her for her thoughts on their impact on the development and recognition of youth work – especially in connection with the European Youth Work Agenda. We also asked her what steps she sees are necessary for the future to boost youth work development.
My name is Tina Kosi, I am the director of the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth, which is a part of the Ministry of Education.
For me the biggest was the 4th European Youth Work Convention in Malta in May. And then of course there was the Council of Europe 10th Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, titled “Young People for Democracy: Youth Perspectives in Action”, this took place in Malta in October. I think those two events were the biggest and the most important ones, at least from my perspective.
For the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth, the 4th European Youth Work Convention provided a strategic mandate for the further development and positioning of youth work, particularly by reaffirming the European Youth Work Agenda as a common reference framework for quality, recognition, and sustainability of youth work. The Convention strengthened the Office’s efforts to embed European priorities into national policymaking, notably in advancing quality frameworks, evidence-based approaches, and the stronger recognition of youth work as a public good. It reinforced the importance of systematic investment in youth work, clearer links between policy, practice, and research, and closer cooperation between national, regional, and local levels. The Convention’s outcomes also supported the Office’s focus on improving working conditions and professional development for youth workers.
The Convention strengthened our efforts to embed European priorities into national policymaking.
The 10th Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth of the Council of Europe supported youth work in Slovenia by providing strong political recognition of youth work as a key pillar of democracy, social cohesion, and young people’s participation. This directly reinforces the mandate of the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth. The Conference outcomes strengthened the Office’s advocacy at the national level for increased visibility, legitimacy, and public investment in youth work. Particularly by framing youth work as an essential response to democratic disengagement, social exclusion, and unequal access to opportunities. For the Office, the Conference offered a high-level policy reference that supports alignment of national strategies with the Council of Europe’s values, encourages cross-sectoral cooperation, and underpins ongoing efforts to improve quality, recognition, and sustainable structures for youth work across Slovenia.
At the European level, the European Youth Work Agenda has helped us to establish a shared understanding of the value and significance of youth work. At the national level, it has provided us with a key reference document that serves as the basis for the preparation of our national strategy.
In Slovenia, we pursue two overarching objectives: fostering and developing quality in youth work and strengthening the recognition and validation of youth work. To this end, a national expert working group for improving the quality and visibility of youth work has been established. It is composed of representatives of the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth, the National Agency Movit, the Youth Council of Slovenia, the umbrella organisation of youth centres (MaMa Network), representatives of local communities, youth centres, youth workers, and researchers.
We also have a joint annual action plan that is adopted each year. Within this, the Office developed the Framework for Quality Youth Work. It was presented to youth sector professionals and municipalities to raise awareness of why youth work requires stronger support and funding, and to ensure that the document does not remain merely a policy paper but becomes a practical guide for improvements in the sector.
In 2025 - 2026, the Office is implementing a comprehensive research programme entitled “Youth Sector 2025”. It is aimed at establishing a data base through conducting an in-depth analysis of the state of youth work in Slovenia. This is from the perspective of young people aged 15–29, youth workers, organisations, funders, and decision-makers at both national and local levels. The research will be an in-depth examination of the profiles and working conditions of youth workers, analysis of youth work infrastructure, and the assessment of short, medium and long-term impacts of youth work. The programme will produce recommendations for the future policies and funding schemes for the youth sector. The results are planned for the beginning of 2027.
By sharing with each other we can learn what practices, policies and actions are working. You don't need to do everything from the scratch.
The SNAC Growing Youth Work has provided us with many spaces to meet each other, to exchange information, and to exchange examples of good practice. By sharing with each other we can learn what practices, policies and actions are working and where they are working. From this we can learn what could potentially be implement in our own realities. I am sharing about policies and programmes from Slovenia to anyone that is interested. This is important because you don't need to do everything from the scratch if there is something that has already been done somewhere else.
From the receiving point of view, I spread the information I have received when I get back home, and I am sharing with our ministers, our youth organisations and other people that are working with young people - social work centres, employment services, teachers and counsellors in the formal education. We need to be working together so we can build a better future, not just for the young people, but for all of us.
The next steps for youth work are crucial, and it is essential for the youth work community of practice to remain well-connected across Europe. Currently, there is an extensive discussion about the future of the Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps programmes. It is vital to keep the youth chapter distinct so that it does not get absorbed into education, sports, or other sectors. These programmes are indispensable, for many young people the European Union feels distant, but these initiatives provide information, foster intercultural dialogue, and highlight the shared values and common ground across Europe.
At the EU level, I would also like to see the introduction of a recommended staffing ratio for youth workers, for example, how many youth workers are needed for a certain number of young inhabitants of a territory. However, to implement such recommendations, municipal and local authorities must actively advocate and influence national governments.
Another urgent challenge is the growing number of young people who are not actively participating in society. This includes both highly engaged youth, who are fully occupied with sports, music, or formal education, leaving little time for youth work and civic engagement, and a rapidly increasing group of young people who are disengaged and remain at home without involvement in any structured activities. In the EU, approximately 10% of young people are NEETs (not in education, employment, or training), and we need to find effective ways to engage this group in youth work. This requires continuous dialogue within countries and across borders to exchange approaches, best practices, and innovative methods to reach these target groups.
Ultimately, youth work has immense potential to create positive social impact. Every young person should have the opportunity to participate in youth work, and strategic planning is essential to ensure that youth work is accessible to all young people in every town. We need to be proactively supporting inclusion, empowerment, and active citizenship. In addition, we need to strengthen data collection and research to demonstrate the impact of youth work, improve quality standards, and secure sustainable funding and recognition at all levels.