Back An analysis of the state of formal education in the field of youth work in Ukraine has been prepared

An analysis of the state of formal education in the field of youth work in Ukraine has been prepared

In September – December 2023, the Council of Europe Project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the State Institution "All-Ukrainian Youth Centre" investigated the educational practices of higher education institutions of Ukraine in the field of youth work based on the approaches, educational resources and standards of the Council of Europe.

The purpose of the study is to create a collection of educational practices of higher education institutions of Ukraine "Recognition of Youth Work" based on the analysis of the state of formal education in the field of youth work and the determination of directions for the implementation of standards by the Council of Europe in the field of youth work in the content of educational and training programs.

Objectives of the study:

  • To characterize the provision of training of youth workers in higher education institutions of Ukraine through the analysis of educational programs, curricula (compulsory and/or elective disciplines), advanced training courses at higher education institutions, internship programs, experience).
  • To conduct a comparative analysis of the existing experience of formal education in the field of youth work and the professional standard "Youth Worker", as well as the standards of youth work of the Council of Europe.
  • Identify achievements, obstacles, difficulties, needs and possible areas of support by the Project for the formal education system in the field of youth work.
  • To prepare a collection of educational practices of higher education institutions of Ukraine in the field of youth work, based on the approaches, educational resources and standards of the Council of Europe.

The study included desk review, online surveys, content analysis of educational and training programs, and in-depth interviews. The analysis characterizes the provision of training of youth workers in higher education institutions of Ukraine, analyzes 214 educational programs and curricula, identifies achievements, obstacles, difficulties, needs and possible areas of support for the formal education system in Ukraine in the field of youth work.

44 representatives of 23 higher education institutions reflected and presented the experience and practices of formal education in Ukraine in the field of youth work based on Council of Europe approaches, educational resources and standards.

Among the key results of mapping educational practices:

  • The occupational standard "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)" has already been reflected in the areas of possible employment of educational (educational-professional, educational-scientific) programs in the field of 231 Social Work (5 out of 10 selected educational programs for the second stage of analysis).
  • The content of the educational components of all the analyzed fields of knowledge indicates that they contain academic disciplines that allow the implementation of professional training of specialists in the areas of youth participation. In particular, in the areas of "Informing Youth", "Promoting Youth Participation through Information and Communication Technologies", "Support for Youth Projects and Initiatives", educational programs in all fields of knowledge have appropriate educational components.
  • The priority themes of the Council of Europe Youth Sector Strategy 2030 are the most evident in educational programmes: 23 Social work - 2.2 Young people's access to rights; 28 Public Management and Administration - 2.2. Youth access to rights; 05 Social and Behavioral Sciences 2.2. Youth access to rights; 01 Education/Pedagogy - 2.2 Young people's access to rights; 02 Culture and the arts - 2.1 Strengthening pluralistic democracy and 2.3. Coexistence in peaceful and inclusive communities; 03 Humanities - 2.1 Strengthening pluralistic democracy and 2.2. Young people's access to rights.
  • The insufficient level of representation of labor functions in the analyzed educational programs according to the occupational standard "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)" can be caused by both the novelty of this document (introduced in March 2023) and the low awareness of higher education institutions on the relevant standard.

The collection contains stories of experience in implementing education in the field of youth work, which were shared by:

  • Viktoriia Bezsmertna, Dual training in the field of youth work. Experience of interaction between the NGO "Institute of Creative Innovations" and Zhytomyr State Ivan Franko University in the creation and implementation of the educational programme "Youth Social Work".
  • Yevhenii Borodin, Tetyana Tarasenko, National Technical University "Dnipro Polytechnic", Dnipro. The first bachelor's educational and professional programme "Social and Youth Work" in Ukraine.
  • Iryna Kobzeva, Dnipro Academy of Continuing Education, Dnipro. Creativity and Informality in Formal Education for and About Young People.
  • Svitlana Kolyadenko, Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University. Cross-cutting youth themes in the professional training of future social workers.
  • Ivanna Kulyk, Oksana Doroshchuk, Vasyl Stefanyk, Precarpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk. Partnership with social, public, youth organisations as a prerequisite for the training of future specialists.
  • Vasyl Stratonov, Kherson State University, Ivano-Frankivsk. Legal education for young people.
  • Liudmyla Kindrat, Council of Europe Office in Ukraine. The manual as a key to understanding the Model General Short-Term Professional Development Programme "Participatory Youth Policy".
  • Liudmyla Smolska, National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, Rivne. Value-based approach to learning: education through values.
  • Maria Grinyova, Odessa Academy of Continuing Education of the Odessa Regional Council, Odesa. Formation of Future Community Leaders: Participatory Approaches in Education.
  • Nadiya Pavlyk, Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University, Zhytomyr. Integration of Formal and Non-Formal Education: Broadening Learning Horizons.
  • Natalia Zaichenko, National University "Chernihiv Collegium" named after T.G. Shevchenko, Chernihiv. Practice-oriented approach to the training of youth workers.
  • Nataliia Koliada, Nataliia Levchenko, Oksana Kravchenko, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University, Uman. History, Synergy and Vision: Pathways to Professional Excellence in Youth Work.

The conducted pilot study and the conclusions from it are not representative, since the sample of educational programs for analysis was formed without complying with the requirement of representativeness; The analysis was carried out only in accordance with the documents presented on open web resources and may not reflect the real content of the educational components taught. At the same time, this study allows us to identify the main trends in the field of higher formal education in terms of training specialists to work with young people.

Based on the results of the study, the preparation for publication of the Collection of Educational Practices of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine in the Field of Youth Work, Based on the Approaches, Educational Resources and Standards of the Council of Europe, has begun.

The project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" is  implemented within the framework  of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2023-2026 and is based on the results and experience of the projects "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine" in 2020-2022.  The project expands the systematic impact by strengthening youth participation policies and strengthening youth work during the war and in the post-war context, taking into account the specific needs of young people.

A brief overview of the history of recognition of youth work in Ukraine in 2021-2023

2021

In 2021, the Council of Europe Project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine" translated into Ukrainian the handbook to Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member states on youth work "Youth work in the spotlight", which can be downloaded here: https://rm.coe.int/ukr-youth-work-in-the-spotlight/1680a4bd04

2022

In 2022, the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase II", in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the working group, in particular:

  •  conducted two stages  of research as part of the development of the professional standard "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)";
  •  translated into Ukrainian the relevant professional standards of other countries: "Youth Work in England: Policy, Practice and National Professional Standards", "Competence System for Youth Work (Austria)", "Professional Standard. Social Work on the Street and Mobile Work with Youth (Germany), "Professional Principles of Social Work on the Street with Adolescents and (Young) Adults Who Use Psychoactive Substances (Germany)";
  •  organized a focus group discussion of the participants of the four-month program "Trauma-Informed Youth Work", who developed proposals for the list of competencies to the professional standard "Youth Worker" and discussed the adaptation of the state program "Youth Worker" based on the experience gained in the program (August-November 2022). To the final text of the professional standard for the competence "Ability to identify one's own needs" on improving the professional level and needs of persons involved in youth work" (D1.) included the following knowledge: Basic knowledge in the field of mental health, Personnel, organizational and informational opportunities to receive special assistance to oneself and others (professional burnout, stress, knowledge of the traumatic event, compassion fatigue), the ability to determine the need for special assistance to oneself and others (professional burnout, stress, knowledge of the traumatic event, compassion fatigue), use information about available personnel, organizational and information opportunities to receive special assistance.

The work of the working group on the development of a draft professional standard for the profession "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)" began on February 2, 2022, under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Maryna Popatenko. The development of a draft professional standard for the profession "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)" has become a new strategic direction in the development of the "Youth Worker" program and a tool for systematizing skills and abilities (creating job descriptions); training of young specialists; and professional development and professional development.

"A youth worker is any person who works with young people and is a guide for a young person; who works with young people more individually (on an individual level) and contributes to the development of the young person according to their needs. The main function, accordingly, is to help, guide, guide a young person in the directions in which he wants to find himself; assistance in identifying these areas"  (quote from an in-depth interview with a study conducted by the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase II").

The results of the second stage of the study in August-September 2022 are presented in the report and compared to the results of the study in February-March 2022. The report is available at the link.

On 31 January 2022, the Council of Europe Project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" took part in a meeting of the working group on the development of the professional standard "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)", in particular to finalize and agree on the text of the professional standard.

The project proposed to include in the professional standard the competence "Ability to involve young people in the planning, implementation and evaluation of activities aimed at young people using participatory approaches" (B6.) and knowledge of the mechanisms, forms and tools of young people's participation in decision-making and activities related to them; models of cooperation to represent the interests of young people in decision-making and activities that affect them.

2023

On March 22, 2023, the National Qualifications Agency approved the  professional standard for the profession "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)" and entered into the Register on March 29, 2023.

The professional standard was developed by a working group under the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine in partnership with the USAID DOBRE Program,  the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase II", and the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine.

A professional standard is a document that embodies a modern approach to the development of a profession in the youth sphere, which contains requirements for the professional competencies of a specialist, requirements for education, qualifications and professional development.

Recognition of a new profession is the key to the development of the youth sphere of the state and the strengthening of youth work by competent specialists.

In accordance with paragraphs 15, 16 of the Procedure for the development, implementation and revision of professional standards, approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 31.05.2017 No. 373 (as amended by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 11.10.2021 No. 1063), the working group in partnership with the USAID DOBRE Program,  the Council of Europe Project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase II", the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine prepared a draft professional standard. Public Public The discussion lasted until January 27, 2023.

On September 20, 2023, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine together with the All-Ukrainian Youth Center in partnership with the USAID DOBRE Program held a round table "Professionalization of Youth Work and the System of Professional Training of Youth Workers".  During the event, proposals and recommendations for the introduction of a new educational specialty in youth work, a model of professional training of youth workers, and the current practice of implementing relevant educational programs aimed at acquiring competencies specific to the profession defined by the professional standard "Youth Specialist (Youth Worker)" were discussed.

Representatives of higher education institutions, central executive bodies, international partners, civil society organizations, and professional associations took part in the event.

The Council of Europe Project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" presented:

Kyiv, Ukraine 20 December 2023
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page

Action Plan 2023-2026


 

Follow us