“LOBBYING for YOUTH WORK” - European Advanced Training

Given the crisis of youth work in Europe, it seems necessary to no longer just react to and suffer the political circumstances, but rather to try to actively engage in and influence (local) youth policymaking. For this, youth work representatives have to fundamentally change their attitudes and skills. They have to be systematically trained in issues such as policy intervention, political consulting and lobbying.
In Germany a first pilot project to this end was carried out from 2013 to 2015, with positive results. This advanced training course intends to translate the German pilot to a European level.

The aim is to contribute to sharpening the profile and political position of youth work. Youth work and its representatives should abandon their passive roles and grow to become more active co-shapers of local youth (work) policy.

The aim of this long-term training course is

- to sharpen the profile and political position of youth work,
- to train and qualify youth work representatives/youth workers to analyze political frameworks and situations at the local level so they can influence local youth policymaking through political lobbying,
- to encourage the establishment and consolidation of local networks for youth politics,
- to create a sustainable training concept at the European level in an attempt to re-politicize youth work,
- and to explore European impulses for local youth work.