Malta

Youth information work in Malta is coordinated by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, the National Youth Agency, which is responsible for the strategic planning, operational matters and coordination of cross-sectoral approaches of national youth policy.

The Ministry of Education and Employment and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth and Sport and Voluntary Organisations have the overarching responsibility for the coordination and the implementation of the National Youth Policy. Youth information work forms an integral part of youth work, with its legal foundations established by the Youth Work Profession Act in 2014.

Aġenzija Żgħażagħ develops youth policy and coordinates youth work at the national level, including providing youth work services (including youth information services) through its Information and Empowerment Unit. In the area of youth information, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ works with its own network of 317 registered youth organisations and 9,000� EYCA cardholders to disseminate opportunities and provide reliable information.

Youth information worker is not legally recognised as a profession in Malta. However, “youth worker” is. The “youth worker” occupational standards differentiate 3 levels of the profession depending on educational background, work experience and levels of competence. Competences related to youth information work with a reference to the ERYICA Youth Information Charter form an integral part of the occupational standard.