Youth worker's competences and learning in non-formal training

IN ENGLISH: As the analysis of focus groups and survey data shows, youth workers and youth work organisers believe that the provision of non-formal Introduction: education, learning and practice of youth work under the lens Page 13 learning opportunities to youth workers is far from perfect. Many interviewees and survey respondents pointed out a range of factors which hamper the provision of learning opportunities to youth workers, who in general are very eager to learn. Among the challenges mentioned were lack of financial and organisational resources, lack of long-term educational and development strategies for youth workers within organisations and generally in the youth work sector, lack of recognition of youth work and of youth worker learning, poor social guarantees and low job security. Importantly, European initiatives and institutions play a significant role in supporting the development of youth work training and education by helping to build competence frameworks and providing organisational and financial support to youth workers, youth work organisers and educators. A lot could be done on many levels to improve the provision of non-formal training for youth workers. --------------- IN CROATIAN: Kao sto pokazuje analiza kvantitativnih i kvalitativnih podataka, omladinski radnici i organizatori rada s mladima vjeruju da su neformalno ucenje i praksa daleko od optimalnog. Mnogi su sudionici intervjua i kvantitativnog istraživanja naglasili sirok raspon cimbenika koji prijece organiziranje i pružanje mogucnosti za neformalno ucenje omladinskim radnicima, koji su generalno gledano voljni uciti. Neki od navedenih izazova su: manjak financijskih i organizacijskih sredstava, manjak dugorocnih obrazovnih i razvojnih strategija za omladinske radnike u organizacijama i udrugama, te ono sto je znacajka omladinskog sektora u cjelini - poteskoce u priznavanju omladinskog rada i ucenja omladinskih radnika, niska socijalna sigurnost i nesigurnost poslova omladinskih radnika. Vrlo je važno napomenuti i kako europske inicijative i institucije igraju znacajnu ulogu u pružanju potpore i razvoju obrazovanja i treninga za omladinske radnike putem pomoci u usvajanju okvira kompetencija i pružanja organizacijske i financijske potpore omladinskih radnicima, organizatorima rada s mladima i edukatorima. No, treba dodati kako jos uvijek preostaju mnogi koraci kako bi se poboljsalo pružanje prilika za neformalan trening i ucenje omladinskih radnika.