Lithuania

Youth information work in Lithuania is coordinated by the Lithuanian Youth Council (LiJOT).

Each year, the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour launches a call for funding and the status of the national coordinator of youth information services. Youth information work forms an integral part of youth work, with its legal foundations established by the Youth Policy Framework Law in 2020.

While LiJOT develops youth policy and coordinates youth work at the national level, the responsibility of providing youth work services (including youth information services) lies with the local governments. As of 2020, there are 60 local governments in Lithuania, each with their own established cooperation network of youth work organisations. Youth services are provided by youth centres, youth clubs, hobby schools, youth organisations, non-formal education organisations, schools, etc.

In Lithuania youth information worker is not recognised as a profession. However, there is a reference to the law on the “Recommendations for Youth Information and Counselling on Quality Assurance” of 25 March 2019. It defines general youth information and counselling and provides a definition of a youth information worker:

“Youth Information and Counselling Service Provider - a person responsible for the provision of youth information, counselling and guidance services to young people and having youth information and counselling competences.”

The law provides details of the tasks of organisations responsible for providing youth information and counselling services.