Social Inclusion Through Youth Work and Lifelong Learning

Abstract

Over the last decade, in practice, youth work has become more and more an innovative part of social work that has helped to achieve European goals for the sustainable development of the individual and society. Despite the lack of normative regulations, established standards in practice and state educational standards in the field, the practice of youth work is one of the mechanisms for social inclusion of this risk group from society through its means of action – training, mediation, counseling and support.

Regardless of the different definitions of youth work, a unifying element is to define it as a means of personal development, social integration and active citizenship among young people. The practice of social work with young people calls for a focus on them as a potentially vulnerable group at risk of poverty, violence, discrimination and social exclusion. Young people are among the most affected by the economic and social insecurity surrounding our society, as well as by the collapse of the ethical and moral norms of modern times. Social youth work is subject to the principle of lifelong learning, as its main contingent is the people under the age of 29, those who have dropped out of the education system who have completed their formal education or are unable to study there. In the context of the present, youth work is a critical factor for personal, professional and social development. Today’s challenge is to build a unity between the social sphere, formal education and lifelong learning so as to create prerequisites for building a person who is competitive on the global labor market. In this way, it responds to the expectations of society related to the establishment and consolidation of a sustainable social and educational system that responds to the diverse needs of the citizens of today’s democratic society and provides access to optimal learning conditions. The purpose of this article is to draw the link between social youth work and the principles of lifelong learning – elements that promote social inclusion. In addition to the positives, problematic areas of practice have been highlighted to guide the discussion towards validating this share of social work. The present analysis has the ambition to draw conclusions to support the process of validating practice and acquiring the legitimacy of youth work.

Keywords: social, inclusion, lifelong learning, youth

Introduction

The modern thinking and contemporary lifestyles reflect on individuals, families, society, and socio-political dynamics reflect on the most vulnerable groups in the countries, such as adolescents and young people. Good practices, reflecting European and national policies, create compensatory mechanisms to prevent social exclusion and social passivity. These, adapted to local reality and environmental conditions, are a positive model for social inclusion and prevention through activities based on non-formal education. It is in the practice of the youth worker that the link between social work and lifelong learning is formed as a support for social inclusion.

The European Community is primarily committed to creating conditions for equal social, economic and educational opportunities for young people. This is clearly demonstrated in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Articles 19, 145-150, 151-161 TFEU), in which the fight against poverty and social exclusion is defined as fundamental for the European Union. (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)) Another key document containing the vision, priority axes and activities to prevent exclusion and social inclusion is ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ which follows the new European pathway, geared towards creating a sustainable future and improving the living standard of the modern human. The main goal of the strategy and the national plans for its implementation are the reduction of demographic, social and economic problems accumulated over the years. (Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, COM (2010). EU, 2010) The analysis of this article is linked to the need to clarify key concepts such as ‘social inclusion’, ‘youth work’, ‘lifelong learning’. The authors of the article adhere to the formulation in the concept of the Social Inclusion General Report from 2004, which states that ‘Social Inclusion is a process that ensures that people at risk of poverty and social exclusion are given the opportunities and resources they need to participate in economic, social and cultural life and enjoy the standard of living and well-being considered for normal in the society in which they live. This process ensures greater participation in the decision – making process that affects their lives and greater access to functional human rights.” (Joint report on social inclusion, European Commission in the Social Protection Committee, 2004) In this sense, social inclusion as a process means creating conditions for equality and equal opportunities among vulnerable groups of people to facilitate their full participation. Object of our attention is this group of people we designate as young people. They, according to European regulations and the Law on Youth in Bulgaria, are ‘persons aged 15 to 29 years’ (Law on Youth, Prom., SG, no. 31 of 20.04.2012) The main aim of the authors is to track the opportunities for social inclusion of young people up to 29 years of age through youth work. It is seen as an innovative part of the social work. The legal definition of the term ‘youth work’ is defined in the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers as ‘… covering a wide range of social, cultural, educational, environmental and/or political activities through, with and for young people in groups or individually. Youth work is done by professionals and/or volunteers and is based on non-formal and informal learning processes targeted at young people. Youth work is a typical social practice … ‘ (Recommendation CM/Rec (2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on youth work)

In the focus of youth workers are young people up to 29 years, often coming from vulnerable groups – those at risk of poverty and social exclusion, dropouts from the educational system, minority groups. It is here that the practice of social work with young people is based on the concept of lifelong learning. It is a modern formulation of the idea that people learns while they`re alive. The characteristics of lifelong learning are set out in a number of community documents. The European Commission is developing a ‘Lifelong Learning Memorandum (2000) which …’ sets the foundations for the further development of youth policies in education and training by addressing the need for lifelong learning and explicitly identifying aspects of non-formal learning … ‘ (Memorandum on lifelong learning, SEC 2000 (1832), Commission of European communities) The document raises the issue of recognition of competences acquired through non-formal and informal education and underlines the importance of European youth programs. As a result of the Memorandum, a European Reference Framework for Key Skills for Lifelong Learning has been established defining eight key competences. In this way, the European Union focuses on developing specific ‘key competences’ for young people, as described in a Recommendation of the European Parliament and Council of Europe, covering the acquisition of ‘knowledge, skills and attitudes that help learners achieve personal fulfillment and, at a later stage of their lives, to find work and participate in the life of society ‘. (Recommendation of the EU Parliament and of the CoE 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning) The main aim of the present work is to show the possibilities for social inclusion of young people in the society through youth work and lifelong learning.

Youth Work as a Form of Social Work

The authors of the article accept youth work as a form of social work that handles informal educational methods. It covers various target groups, including young people dropped out of the education system, graduates, those who identify the need to acquire new knowledge, skills and competences. It is here that it is necessary to present and analyze the essential theoretical and practical legal acts, related to social inclusion through youth work and lifelong learning in the sense of their scientific and practical significance.

In the specialized literature, the history of youth work is seen as a history of unfinished professionalism. (History of Youth Work in Europe, p. 213, 2003, CoE) This is clearly visible in the practice review in the different countries and the professional charachers that are filled with this share of social work. Regardless of the different traditions and definitions, there is a common understanding of the core function of youth work, which is defined in the Committee of Ministers Recommendation, and according to which ‘youth work motivates and supports young people in seeking a constructive path in life, contributing to their personal and social development, and for society as a whole. ‘ (Recommendation CM/Rec (2017)4 and exploratory memorandum, 2017, CoE) The aim of the profession is to support the social inclusion and learning of those young people at risk of social exclusion. This is achieved by empowering and engaging young people in initiatives and activities tailored to their needs, interests, ideas and experiences. These processes are based on non-formal and informal learning, in which they acquire the knowledge, skills, values ​​and behavior necessary for their personal development. For non-formal education we understand ‘any organized educational activity conducted outside the formal system of providing selected types of training to specific subgroups in the population, adults and children’ (Coombs & Ahmed, 1974 , p. 8). The definition of informal (or aformal) learning was given by the European Commission in 2001, defining it as ‘learning as a result of everyday activities of man, related to his work, family and leisure. It is not structured and usually does not lead to certification. It may be conscious, but in most cases it is unconscious (or accidental, by accident). ‘ (European Commision, Communication of life long learning, 2001, 32-33).

In many European countries there is no professional and educational profile of the youth worker. In Bulgaria, with the introduction of the Youth law, the term ‘youth worker’ is defined for the first time in a normative act. According to Art. 32. of the Youth law: ‘A youth worker is an adult who has undergone special training for youth work and/or has gained professional experience of working with youth and performing youth activities.’ (Law on Youth, Prom., SG, no. 31 of 20.04.2012) In the National Youth Strategy in Bulgaria (2012-2020), youth workers are seen as the main resource for the implementation of the youth policy objectives and states that they are specialists with a significant role for the personal, social and economic development and empowerment of young people. (National Youth Strategy (2010-2020), adopted by the Council of Ministers on 06.10.2010) In the course of meeting the goals of the European and national strategies, the profession of ‘youth worker’ was introduced into the National Classifier of Occupations and Positions in Bulgaria, but the country still lacks a commonly accepted definition of what is youth work and what is the professional and educational profile of professionals. The practice of social youth work indicates that the youth worker does not require excessive unilateral specialization, and ‘everyone must have as much professional knowledge as possible’. (Role of ethical principles in social work team in sheltered housing, K. Benkova, N.Vlaeva, S.Georgieva, Trakia Journal of Sciences , vol 13, 2015)

In this regard, the profile of the specialist involved in social work with young people is clearly demonstrated in a study by the Ministry of Youth in Romania in 2016. It states that the youth worker should have a large set of knowledge and skills to work in a multicultural environment, flexibility, skills to handle different mechanisms to prevent social exclusion, to master informal learning approaches, to have consultative capacity and empathy. (Study of the needs of youth centres and youth workers, FITT, 2018).

All these requirements to the practice of the youth worker are a guarantee of effective social inclusion. However, the issue of professional and educational training of specialists is also coming to the fore. Although in the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers for Youth Work one of the top priorities is to build a coherent and flexible, competence-based framework for education and training in a European context, the youth worker may have a different kind of education, putting him in a situation , in which the professional guild does not accept it either as part of the social sphere or as a pedagogical frame. The need for an educational and professional framework of the ‘youth worker’ specialist requires the utmost attention to ensuring adequate education and vocational training for employees in the sector. Reflection of the lack of professional training is the problem of quality of service for young people, against the backdrop of ever-increasing needs.

Lifelong Learning as a Form of Social Inclusion

Such practical cases are relevant not only to the profession of the youth worker but also to the concept of lifelong learning. Policies relevant to the formulation that a person learns while he is alive are also the subject of contradiction and ‘are repeatedly described as highly fragmented, sporadic and often contradictory in their goals, in terms of their target groups and means of implementation.’ (Dimensions of young adult policies impact on a comparative principle at an European level, Yulia V. Dzhabarova, Blaga P. Madzhurova, Stefan A. Raichev, Dobrinka I. Stoyanova) With regard to practice, lifelong learning is based on three main forms:

• Formal education and learning;
• Non-formal learning;
• Informal learning.

It, like the youth work, falls into a complicated situation where there is a gap between acquired knowledge and skills and their validation. Responding to identified challenges and a strong focus on youth issues, the EU 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth was launched a decade ago. In the framework of the ‘Youth in action’ and ‘Agenda for new skills and jobs’ flagship initiatives, the European Commission is committed to promoting recognition of non-formal and informal learning and calls for the development of knowledge, skills and competences to achieve economic growth and employment. The accompanying flagship initiatives underline the need for more flexible training models that can improve the entry and advancement of the labor market, facilitate the transition between work and learning and stimulate the validation of non-formal and informal learning. (Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, COM (2010). EU, 2010). This strategic document reflects European education policy, focusing on topical issues related to youth, lifelong learning and knowledge-based economy, thus shaping informal education programs.

Responding to Europe’s needs to foster the personal development of young people, the Erasmus + program. It is a work of the EU and aims to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe, thus contributing to the Europe 2020 strategy for growth, jobs and social equality. The specific issues on which the program is working are:

• Reducing unemployment, especially among young people;
• Promoting adult education, especially the building of new skills and skills that are sought by the labor market;
• Encouraging young people to participate in European democracy;
• Supporting innovation, cooperation and reforms;
• Reducing early school leaving;
• Promoting cooperation and mobility among EU partner countries. (ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about_bg)

Another European Union initiative launched in 2018 is the European Solidarity Corps. It enables young people between the ages of 18 and 30 to volunteer or work on projects in their own country or abroad to help people in difficulty. The program implements European solidarity values in practice and provides the opportunity to learn new knowledge and skills.( europa.eu/youth/SOLidARity_bg).

In order to be practical, the knowledge and skills acquired should be validated and certified. The lack of documented evidence is an obstacle to the effective inclusion of vulnerable groups in the social, labor market and economic life of modern society.

Conclusion and Recommendations

This article attempts to analyze the regulatory and policies in Europe on the social inclusion of young people through youth work and lifelong learning. In the course of the study, the political will is clearly demonstrated by the need to unite the common efforts of the countries of the European Union to create unified legal acts related to the realization of social inclusion and awareness of the positive effects and the importance of validating non-formal education and recognition of youth work in educational and professional space.

Despite the insufficiently developed legal regulations on lifelong learning and youth work, they are in practice invariably linked and support the process of social inclusion of young people up to 29 years. The study of international, community and national norms shows that they are incomparable, as in Bulgaria there are no specific parameters and legal norms of non-formal education and youth work, which are an essential element of the social work with young people within the meaning of the European normative framework. In this sense, according to the authors needed to validate the practice of social youth work, there are several key elements:

• Legal regulation of youth social work;
• Professionalization of the profession of ‘youth worker’;
• Creating educational standards for youth work;
• Establish mechanisms to validate the knowledge and skills acquired through non-formal education in the context of lifelong learning.

Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude for the support and funding of this article of the Faculty of Medicine at the Trakia University, Stara Zagora.

References

1. Coombs & Ahmed, 1974 , p. 8
2. Dimentions of young adult policies impact on a comparative principle at an European level, Yulia V. Dzhabarova, Blaga P. Madzhurova, Stefan A. Raichev, Dobrinka I. Stoyanova
3. Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, COM (2010). EU, 2010
4. European Commision, Communication of life long learning, 2001, 32-33
5. Joint report on social inclusion, European Commission in the Social Protection Committee, 2004
6. History of Youth Work in Europe, p. 213, 2003, CoE
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12. Recommendation CM/Rec (2017)4 and exploratory memorandum, 2017, CoE
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15. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about_bg
16. https://europa.eu/youth/SOLidARity_bg