Digital Youth: Preparing Youth Workers for a Digital World

Digital Youth addresses the identified needs within the realm of youth work throughout Europe to enhance the digital skills of both youth workers and young individuals. Notably, Cyprus, Greece, and Spain exhibit skills below the EU average in categories such as Internet user skills, advanced skills, and development. Ireland also falls below the average ranking in internet user skills. The initiative aims to respond to the European Commission's call for well-organized activities and initiatives that elevate the digital skills of the youth across Europe. Recognizing the vital role of digital literacy and 21st-century skills in contemporary citizenship, youth work should actively promote such involvement, aligning with the goals outlined in the European Union's Work Plan for Youth for the period 2016-2018. The importance of 'Youth Work' is emphasized in the European Youth Strategy for 2019-27, with its own agenda focused on supporting youth empowerment through quality, innovation, and recognition of youth work. Acknowledging that youth workers often lack the necessary competencies for delivering digitally-oriented interactive and engaging activities and services, Digital Youth advocates for cooperation in a transnational context.

In order to address the gap and needs of the field of youth work, which are also in line with the European Youth Strategy 2019-2027, Digital Youth have set the following objectives: - Promote the importance of Digital Youth Work in the partner countries and Europe - Build the competencies of youth workers to use digital tools in youth work - Develop quality resources for digital youth work - Improve the overall quality of youth work conducted in the participating countries. With this objective in mind, the project consortium has created a comprehensive set of resources and tools designed to enhance the digital skills and knowledge of youth workers. The project has strengthened the capabilities of its target audience—youth workers—enabling them to navigate the evolving landscape of digital transformation in various aspects of contemporary life. Significantly, this initiative has improved their capacity to engage and interact with young individuals effectively. As a result, they are now equipped to broaden the scope of their work and offerings to the youth. This includes the ability to plan, design, and implement actions using digital tools, ultimately elevating the quality of youth work and the recognition it receives.