Opportunities for Youth
Minister O’Gorman launches Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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- Opportunities for Youth is a new national strategy on youth work and related services which provides a clear vision, strategic objectives, and priority actions to guide a collective approach to developing youth work services over the coming years.
- Opportunities for Youth is guided by an overarching vision that “all young people in Ireland are able to reach their full potential and positively shape their own future”.
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, will today launch a new national strategy, Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028 , which sets out Ireland’s key policy ambitions for youth work and related services.
Opportunities for Youth encompasses a broad range of services and activities that are provided by youth sector organisations in response to the needs and interests of young people aged 10 to 24 and that support young people’s personal and social development. The Government has invested more than €80 million in this sector in 2024.
Today’s launch delivers on a commitment in Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028 , which recognises the important role of youth work services in improving outcomes for young people and the need for a more strategic direction for the delivery of such services.
The development of Opportunities for Youth was informed by extensive consultation with young people, the public, youth organisations, youth workers and volunteers, as well as State agencies and other Government Departments.
The strategy includes a clear set of strategic objectives and 18 priority actions intended to strengthen the role of youth work and related services in the lives of young people in Ireland, including through enhancing the visibility, accessibility and attractiveness of youth services and supporting better co-ordination with the range of other services and pathways for young people. It also focusses on enhancing service quality, including through a consideration of workforce needs, and strengthening the data and evidence base informing policy, investment and service-delivery.
Minister O’Gorman commented:
“I am delighted to launch a new national strategy with a dedicated focus on youth work and related services and I want to thank everyone, especially the young people, who contributed to its development. I know the important role played by youth services in the lives of many young people across the country, creating spaces for them to belong, to connect and to thrive. It is important that we build on this and fully leverage this sector to improve the lives and outcomes of young people of all backgrounds.
“The delivery of Opportunities for Youth willrequire collaboration beyond the youth work sector into all areas of life affecting young people. I look forward to working with all of our stakeholders, including colleagues across Government, as we begin implementation. I believe the actions set out in Opportunities for Youthwill make a significant difference to the lives of young people and will bring us another step forward in realising our vision of Ireland as a place where all young people can reach their full potential.”
To read the full strategy and youth-friendly version, click here.
ENDS//
Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028 identities 18 actions to be completed by the end of 2026. This will be followed by a review to identify further actions to be delivered until the end of the Strategy’s lifetime in 2028.