Youth, opting out of education and delaying entry into the workforce, face a growing problem. In the European Union, the proportion of unemployed young people aged 15 to 29 was 11.7%, and in Estonia – 10.6%, which is still too high. In the Netherlands, with their highly organized education system, this figure is only 4.2%.
The youth policy and youth work in Estonia is defined by many legal acts. According to the Youth Work Act, a young person is a natural person between the ages of 7 and 26. Youth work as a professional area is not defined in the Youth Work Act, however it is defined in Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035.
The youth in Estonia aspires to earn an average of 1900 euros net, with their salary expectations increasing much faster than other age groups, rising by 18% over the past year. These findings were derived from a labor market study conducted by the job portal CVKeskus.ee and the agency Palgainfo.
In Estonia, you can study youth work at three universities: Viljandi Culture Academy, Narva College, and Tallinn University. All three programs provide students with fundamental knowledge in the field of youth work.