Competence Framework for Digital Youth Work Practice
What is it?
The Competence Framework includes knowledge areas related to ICT, digital and social media, and identifies the competences needed by youth workers to be effective in these areas.
The online self-assessment tool can be used by youth workers to identify the competences they lack or need to improve, or those that they already acquired and use at a good level. Think of it as a way of describing ‘how we do what we do’ in Youth Work!
How was it developed?
The development of the Competence Framework for Digital Youth Work Practice was informed by the results of our own Research as well as other findings such as the Screenagers International Report, and the results of the EC group of experts on ‘Risks, opportunities and implications of digitalisation for youth, youth work and youth policy’, and more.
This Competence Framework, while applicable to the youth workers’ competences, was developed through the lense of 21st Century Skills Framework for Youth. Our focus is to equip youth workers with the relevant practice skills and attitudes to support young people in acquiring Digital Competence themselves, including information, media and technology skills of course but also broader innovation skills and generally 21st Century Skills that enhance employability as well as personal wellbeing.
What and who is it for?
We believe that Digital Skills-based Youth Work can bring added value to the interactions youth workers have with young people; it can help them develop new activities in their daily work to include technology, making the interactions more dynamic and a better fit for the new generation; it can bring digital content into the work (non-formal educational games, more interaction using social media channels, etc.); finally, it can help in developing online services for those young people, that cannot be reached otherwise.
This Framework is innovative in developing relevant youth work standards; as such it contributes to the standardisation and international recognition of Digital Youth Work. It can also impact youth organisations beyond the individual youth worker, by supporting HR policies, training and investment planning.
These resources are available in English at present, however if you are interested in contributing to this project by translating them, we will assist you with this – please get in touch!
