YOUTHPITSTOP

Lithuanian youth policy is targeted at young people aged from 14 to 29.

The activities of structures of youth policy in Lithuania are governed by the Law on Youth Policy Framework of the Republic of Lithuania. The Law underwent a few revisions after its adoption (amendments in 2005 and 2018). It establishes the main terms of youth policy and principles of its implementation as well as defines the areas of youth policy and establishment of institutions executing and managing youth policy on national and municipal level.The National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 establishes the main strategic goals of youth policy. The youth policy directions, activities, result indicators, involved and responsible institutions are detailed in the Action Plan for 2017-2019 by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Specific thematic aspects of youth policy are also defined in the planning documents of ministries and agencies (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Interior Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, the Drug Control Department under the Government of Lithuania, Lithuanian Labour Exchange, and Department of Youth Affairs). In the line with above, municipalities plan youth work at the local level, elaborating local planning documents of the youth policy development and providing an institutional framework for the youth work.

The National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 established the main strategic goals of the national youth policy. The Program prioritised the social inclusion of young people, with particular emphasis on young people who are not in employment, education and training (NEETs), the promotion of cross-sectorial cooperation, the exchange of good practices on social inclusion of young people and the promotion of the cooperation between young people from the countries of the European Union, Eastern Europe and Caucasus. The goals of ensuring better youth employment opportunities, creating favourable conditions for young people to participate in the labour market, promoting economic and social entrepreneurship, developing non-formal education system, enhancing youth active participation in the society were also established. The National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 and the Action Plan for 2017-2019 aim to ensure the development of social security, education and health care systems; develop a conscious, public-spirited, patriotic, mature, cultural and creative young individual, capable of being an active part of a diverse society; develop and coordinate the system of youth work and to ensure the development of youth employment infrastructure; create favourable conditions for consistent and high quality activities of youth organisations and organisations working with youth; and ensure inter-institutional and cross-sectorial cooperation in developing coherent, fact and knowledge-based youth policy.

Youth policy forms a part of the broader youth affairs. The main activity areas of youth policy include youth work, social, employment, health, cultural, family and crime prevention policy. In addition to the education, research and language policy, the area of administration of the Ministry of Education and Research also contains the development of youth policy.

On 1 January 2016, Estonia had 283 350 young people at the age of 7–26, which forms 21,54% of the Estonian population. As in many other European countries, the proportion of young people among population is decreasing. According to the forecast of the Statistics Estonia, the proportion of youth among total population continues to decrease until 2022 when it will gradually start to increase again. The growth trend prevails until 2039 and then the share of youth among the total population will start decreasing again.

Negative trends, such as the growing emigration of youth, high unemployment rate of youth aged 15–19, the number of young people not studying or working, high relative poverty rate, problematic health behaviour, incl. in particular the risk behaviour of young men, require special attention. Attention must be paid to the causes of such trends, prevention of potential consequences and reduction in undesirable influence. It is also necessary to promote the continuation of positive trends.

Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

Ministry in charge of youth is the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. Department responsible for youth is the Youth Affairs Department. Main goals of the department:

• Developing legislation to ensure appropriate legislative environment for implementing youth policy.
• Ensuring purposefulness and consistency in implementation of youth policy.
• Planning of resources necessary for implementation of youth policy.
• Ensuring cohesiveness of youth policy.
• Holding a public dialogue with partners to come to a social agreement on questions pertaining to youth policy.

Estonian Youth Work Centre (Eesti Noorsootöö Keskus) is a national centre for youth work under the administrative authority of the Ministry of Education and Research – the national youth work agency. Its main objective is to develop and organize youth work in the framework of the national youth policy. It implements the Estonian Youth Field Development Plan 2014-2020 and performs other functions arising from the Youth Work Act and other relevant laws.