Youth policy in Finland

What is sustainable policy in youth matters? Implementation of youth policies

2.3.2011

Eva Roos, Planning Officer, Advisory Council for Youth Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture

1. Definitions (Youth Act)

- young people means those under 29 years of age;- youth policy means improving young people’s growth and living

conditions- youth work means the promotion of active citizenship in young

people’s leisure time, their empowerment, support to young people’s growth and independence, and interaction between generations;

- active citizenship means young people’s goal-oriented activity in civil society;

- national youth organisation means a registered association which implements the purpose of this act and whose operations extend to the whole country;

(Policy is the end result of a process during which governments and other institutions first recognize that a particular need or problem exists and then state their intention to do something about it)

2. THE ACTORS

The Ministry of Education and Culture

Communications and Public Relations

MINISTER OF CULTURE AND SPORT State Secretary

MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCEState Secretary

International Relations

DEPARTMENT FOREDUCATION AND SCIENCE POLICY

• Department´s Office

• General Education Division

• Vocational Education Division

• Division for Higher Education and Science Higher Education Research

• Division for Adult Education and Training

DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURAL, SPORT AND YOUTH POLICY

• Division for Cultural Legislation and Finance

• Division for Art Policy Cultural Export and Exchange Unit

• Division for Cultural Policy Copyright Unit

• Sports Division

• Youth Policy Division ( 13 +1)

ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

• General Administration Division

• Human Resources Division

• Financial Planning Division

• Financial Administration Division

• Information Management Division

Internal Audit PERMANENT SECRETARY

THE STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR

YOUTH AFFAIRS• is appointed by the Government to act as an expert body on

child and youth policy. 4-year term.• operates within the Ministry of Education and Culture• National youth organisations and youth work organisations

can propose members to the Advisory Council (14+1+2)• the key task is to monitor and annually evaluate the

implementation of the Youth Policy Development Programme• participates in the preparation of the Youth Policy

Development Programme• responsible for bringing young people’s perspective into the

decision-making process• produces up-to-date information about young people and

their living conditions (annual Youth Barometer, indicators, research)

Youth Organisation Subsidy Committee

• Attached to the Ministry of Education and Culture• 4-year term• members are nominated by youth organisations (7+1+1)• annually submits a proposal to the Ministry of Education

and Culture for state subsidies to be allocated to national youth organisations

• evaluates and develops the subsidy system• About a hundred organisations receive government support

3.THE LEGAL BASIS, A TOOL

FINNISH YOUTH ACT (72/2006)

• latest update 1.1.2011 - Outreach youth work & multidisciplinary cooperation

• specifies the objectives and values of youth work and policy

• purpose to support young people's growth and independence, to promote active citizenship and empowerment, to improve young people's living conditions

• values are communality, solidarity, equity and equality, multiculturalism and internationalism, healthy life styles, and respect of life and the environment

• The Youth Act is also an act on the financing of youth work and it lays down provisions on support systems for youth work and policy

THE YOUTH ACT

• Outreach youthwork. Aim & description: to reach the young people in need of support and help them gain access to the types of services and support that promote their growth and independence as well as their entry into education and the world of work. The municipalities should appoint a youth division authority responsible for the implementation of outreach youth work. 56 % of Finland's municipalities so far.

• Multidisciplinary cooperation. A guidance and service network for young people in municipalities with representation from educational, social and health care, and youth departments as well as labour, police and defence administration.

The aim: to improve the possibilities for the young to get the public service they need. To strengthen the early support for entering education and work life. By gathering information on the conditions in which young people grow up and live. The network should make it easier for young people to access the services, moving from one service to another and should promote the smooth exchange of information concerning the provision of youth services by planning joint procedures between various authorities

• 8 §: “Young people must be given opportunities to take part in the handling of matters concerning youth work and youth policy. They must also be heard in matters concerning them.”

Youth Policy Development Programme

Youth Act, Section 4:

1. The Government shall adopt a youth policy development programme every four years. The development programme shall contain the national objectives for youth policy and provide guidelines for youth policy programme work at the provincial (regional) and local levels. The development programme shall be revised according to need.

2. The development programme shall be prepared by the Ministry of Education and Culture together with the other ministries concerned. During the preparation, they must hear major stakeholders in youth work and youth policy.

ISSUES COVERED BY THE CHILD AND YOUTH POLICY PROGRAMME 2007–

2011• Six strategic priorities – towards a life cycle policy:

1. An effective system of preventive basic services; 2. Effective services at points of transition, change and crisis in life; 3. Early intervention and support; 4. Multiprofessional and cross-sectoral action; 5. Competence assurance and customer orientation; and 6. Anticipation, evaluation and monitoring of the impact of decision-

making on children and families

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

CHILD AND YOUTH POLICY PROGRAMME 2007–2011

1. The policy programme for the well-being of children, youth and families– The policy programme for the well-being of children, youth and

families launched by Prime Minister Vanhanen's second Cabinet is divided into three areas; a child-oriented society ; well-being of families and prevention of social exclusion

– The Child and Youth Policy Programme creates a basis for the Policy Programme and its cross-sectoral objectives

2. The State Advisory Council for Youth Affairs– Evaluates annually the implementation of the Child and Youth Policy

Programme

3. Monitoring of the Government Programme – Government mid-term policy review – the Goverment reports to the Parliament at the latest

in 2011 of the The Child and Youth Policy Programme

4.THE FINANCING OF YOUTH WORK

- an essential tool

3 % 5 %

30 %

12 %

2 %6 %

4 %

8 %

23 %

0,03 %

2 %0,2 %

0,2 %1 %

4 %

3 % 6 %

13 %

6 %

4 %

7 %

2 %

0,3 %

0,2 %1 %

4 %

0,04 %

30 %

3 %

23 %

Ministry of Interior

Ministry of Defence

President

Ministry of Finance

Parliament of Finland

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Education and Culture

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Ministry of Transport and Communications

Ministry of Employment and the Economy

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

Prime Minister´s Office

Ministry of Environment

Interest payments on state debt

The state budget 2011: 50 527 million € (The Ministry of Education and Culture: 6 730 million €)

The state budget 2010: 50 474 million € (The Ministry of Education and Culture: 6 218 million €)

The state budget 2010 The Ministry of Education and

Culture sector2010 2011

Budget BudgetMill. euro mill. € %

Main Class 29 total 6 218 6 730 512 8

Administration, Church Affairs and Total expenditure in the Ministry of Education and Culture sector

118 115 -4 -3

Sector of the Minister of Education and Science 4 632 5 043 411 9

General education 855 905 50 6

Vocational education 666 698 32 5

Adult education 503 513 10 2

University education 2 607 2 927 320 12

Sector of the Minister of Culture and Sport 1 468 1 572 105 7

Student financial aid 890 937 47 5

Culture and the arts 385 426 41 11Sport 130 144 14 10Youth work 61 65 4 6

2010-2011Change

The Ministry of Education allocates funds from the state youth budget to:

• local youth work • national youth organisations • civic organisations doing youth work • national youth centres • international cooperation • youth facilities construction • youth workshop activities • youth research • young people's cultural pursuits • morning and afternoon activities for schoolchildren • preventive drug and intoxicant work

• Within the Ministry budget, youth work is mainly funded with money from the national lottery, about 9 % of the National lottery's revenue/proceeds. Other beneficiaries are the arts, sports and science

• The State supports the municipalities and their youth work• The Ministry of Education and Culture allocates government

transfers to local authorities for youth work based on the number of young residents under 29 years of age

Thank you & let's continue with...

...discussion (10-15 minutes) and some hard work (15-20 minutes)

• What did you find positive/interesting in the Finnish Youth Policy system?

• What did you find sustainable?• What did you find less positive?• Any ressemblance to the Youth Policy in your country? What do

you have that Finland does not?• How could the implementation be done more effectively?

====> Let's build a model for a sustainable Youth Policy

Think tanking in groups

1. Why is there a need for a Youth Policy?

2. What do we need? Actors, tools, values?

3. How do we do it? (implementation)

4. Slogan, motto for a sustainable Youth Policy?

----> Did we together manage to build a basis for a sustainable Youth Policy?

What do we have to bear in mind? Problems to take into consideration?