The research on educational and career paths of youth workers in Europe began in 2017 with a survey of Council of Europe member states on five broad aspects:

• youth policy and legislation;
• educational and training for youth workers (including opportunities offered in the fields of both formal and non-formal education and training);
• quality assurance and competence frameworks and systems;
• associations of youth workers;
• employment opportunities and career paths for youth workers and professionalisation.

The results of the information submitted by 41 member state representatives in the European Knowledge Centre on Youth Policy (EKCYP) network and in the European Steering Committee on Youth (CDEJ) have been analysed in two parts:

 Part I. Report Mapping educational and career paths of youth workers, edited by James O’Donovan

 Appendices to the report:

• Table 1: National structures responsible for creating a framework for youth policy and its implementation (information collected between May-November 2017)
• Table 2: National/regional legislation on youth work
• Table 3: Other forms of national recognition for youth work
• Table 4: Degree and postgraduate-level courses in youth work and related fields
• Table 5: Vocational and further education and training courses in youth work and related fields
• Table 6: Non-formal education and training: provision, funding and accreditation
• Table 7: Non-formal education and training: methods, themes and competences
• Table 8: Quality and competences
• Table 9: Competency framework in different countries
• Table 10: Most common competences and skills for youth workers in 10 countries
• Table 11: Associations and networking of youth workers
• Table 12: Regulation of youth work as a profession
• Table 13 Youth work and employment
• Table 14: Career paths and employment opportunities for youth workers
• Table 15: Nomenclature on youth worker and other professions delivering youth work

 Part II. Diversity of practice architectures on educational and career paths of youth workers in Europe, by Tomi Kiilakoski

 Working papers:

 Youth workers in Europe. Associations, networks and support by James O’Donovan

 What do you see? A look at youth work through the prism of sociology of occupations by Marti Taru

 Views of educators and youth work managers on the competences of youth workers by Dunja Potočnik

 Ethical standards in youth work and how they support education and career pathways of youth workers by Sladjana Petkovic and Ondřej Bárta

 Early career perspectives on the educational pathways of youth workers by Tomi Kiilakoski

 Youth workers learning in non-formal contexts by Dunja Potočnik

 Systems for formal and non-formal education and validation of youth workers. An Analytical Report

 Promoting quality in youth work practice in Europe, by James O’Donovan