Development Programme for Child and Youth Policy
The enforcement of youth policy is outlined by the Development Programme for Child and Youth Policy for 2012–2015, and was approved by the Finnish Government in December 2011. In accordance with the Youth Act, the target group of the programme is anyone under the age of 29. According to the programme: ‘Increased, equal opportunities in education and employment will be created for all young people. The aim is to promote the active citizenship, solidarity and social participation of all young people.’
Young people’s need for support
There are numerous underlying factors in the lives of young people who need support, such as loneliness, underachievement, inter-generational social problems, dropping out of school, health problems, inability to concentrate, early independence in relation to the young person’s capability to cope with everyday life, language difficulties, absence of a trusted adult, lack of self-initiative, or an inability to recognise future prospects. The risk of social exclusion of young people is also increased due to not having a service system that is efficient enough to identify young people’s need for support, the inability to offer enough support to young people with respect to their support needs, or due to the lack of services.
The four main reasons or factors that require the provision of support or rehabilitation services to young people, or perhaps multiprofessional cooperation, which keep coming up with regard to young people who participate in workshop activities and do not have an upper secondary education qualification are: 1) learning difficulties (most commonly, unidentified mild dyslexia), 2) cognitive restrictions (mild and unidentified), 3) limited social and interactive skills, and 4) self-esteem issues (most commonly, depression). These main factors do not necessarily appear immediately, but instead manifest as dropping out of school and not being able to fully commit to the services provided. As a result of the possible invisibility of the main reason, the support provided may “treat” a symptom or the outcome, but does not compensate for the underlying problem that requires solving34.
The Youth Act and multi-sectoral cooperation within municipalities
The Youth Act (72/2006) was amended as of 1 January 2011 with a provision that obliges local authorities to conductmulti-sectoral cooperation. Municipalities must have a youth guidance and service network for the general planning of cooperation amongst local authorities and for developing its implementation. The network must include representatives from education, social, health and youth services as well as the labour and police administrations. The network may also include other municipal, government or church officials or representatives from other sectors. The network must interact with various providers of services for young people. Municipalities may also put together shared networks. The regional coverage of the youth guidance and service network in November 2011 is presented in Appendix 4.
The tasks of the youth guidance and service network include:
1) gathering information on the growth and living conditions of young people and using them as the basis for assessing the situation of young people for the purpose of supporting local decision-making and planning;
2) promoting the integration and effectiveness of services targeted at young people with the aim of securing the supply, quality and availability of the services;
3) planning and boosting shared procedures for steering young people to use services and, if necessary, guide them from one service to the next;
4) promoting the fluent exchange of information related to the provision of services for young people through planning shared procedures to be used by various authorities.
Youth workshop activities
Youth workshop activities boost young people’s life management skills and social independence, provide early support, promote collective growth at one’s own pace and encourage learning by doing. Workshops provide young people with the opportunity to work under guidance and support as well as a tailored pathway to education, help towards completing one’s education through working together with the education provider, or support for finding employment through the open labour market.
The number of young people participating in workshop activities has increased significantly in the 2000s. In 2010, more than 13,000 young people under 29 participated in workshop activities. The increase in unemployment in 2009, particularly in those sectors dominated by men, raised the share of young males to 63% of all workshop participants. In total, 73% of young workshop participants had not completed vocational education. The share of young participants who had completed basic education was 65%, however, 2% of them did not receive a comprehensive school leaving certificate. There are 196 workshops, and their activities cover 80% of the municipalities in Finland. The ratio between coaches and participants is presented in Appendix 7, along with the regional distribution of youth workshop activities.
The number of young unemployed people signposted to participate in workshop activities has remained unchanged for a long time, but the number of those directed to workshops by educational institutions and social and health care service providers has increased (Appendix 6). As many as 55% of young people are referred to workshops by an Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office). In addition, young people are sent to workshops by upper secondary education institutions (13%) and social and health care service providers (15%). The combined share of participants arriving at workshops directly on their own initiative or via youth outreach work is 10%. The majority of work periods in workshops last six months. However, the duration may vary according to the need for support. In total, 75% of young people participating in workshop activities were successfully placed in training, work or other activity.
The number of people arriving at workshops on their own initiative has reduced by half due to the launch of the piloting of youth outreach work and the expansion of the work. Prior to the launch of youth outreach work, the share of young people arriving at workshops without referral from an authority was 8–10%, but now their share has reduced to approximately 5%.
Youth outreach work
The legislation on youth outreach work entered into force on 1 January 2011. Youth outreach work is financed by targeted government subsidies. In 2011, youth outreach work was carried out in 223 municipalities (map included in Appendix 5). The task of youth outreach work is to reach those young people under 29 who are in need of support and direct them to the sphere of such services or other forms of support that promote their growth and independence as well as their access to education and work. Young people’s participation in the support measures provided under youth outreach work is voluntary. More than 97% of the young people reached by youth outreach workers wanted to be helped immediately.
In 2010, youth outreach workers were in contact with almost 11,000 young people. A mapping of service needs was performed on 5,724 of them (i.e. young people who were reached). The share of young people who were reached through social networks of young people was 24%, while 76% were contacted on the basis of a request from the authorities. Of the total amount of young people who were reached, 63% were male, 37% female. Amongst the young people who were reached, 28% had completed comprehensive school without pursuing any further education, 28% had interrupted their studies in upper secondary education, 9% were still in comprehensive school, and 16% studied at the upper secondary education level. Some other form of education was completed by 13% of the young people who were reached. The share of those young people without any post-basic qualifications of those reached by outreach youth workers was 70%. In total,
3,937 young people who were reached were provided with access to services. Ultimately, they received help through some 13,800 individual services.
The number of young people who were reached who defined themselves as unemployed was 2,688, even though 1,256 of them had not registered as a jobseeker with a TE Office. In total, 1,337 of young people who were reached were in the middle of their studies.
Disclosing the contact information of a young person
The Youth Act lays down provisions on the disclosure of information for the purposes of youth outreach work. Primarily, the personal information of a young person can be disclosed with specific consent from the young person in question. If the young person cannot be reached to obtain the consent, the contact and personal information of a young person is to be disclosed for the purposes of youth outreach work in the following cases:
1) an education provider discloses information on a young person who has completed basic education, but has not found placement in post-basic education;
2) an education provider discloses information on a young person under 25 who drops out of vocational education or general upper secondary school;
3) the Finnish Defence Forces and the Centre for Non-Military Service discloses information on a young person under 25 who is exempted from military or non-military service due to lack of fitness for service or who interrupts the military or non-military service.
Other authorities are legally entitled to disclose information relating to a young person for the purpose of youth outreach work if it is the authority's assessment, in an official capacity and based on the information provided while taking account of the overall situation of the young person, that the young person in question is in need of support. Reporting to outreach youth work is not necessary if the situation requires making a child protection notification.
City of Vantaa’s subsidised apprenticeship training model
The City of Vantaa Youth Services has developed an operating model for the subsidised apprenticeship training of young people that allows young people to complete a qualification while working for the city. Before the apprenticeship training, there is a period of on-the-job training. In addition, the student is provided with support and counselling not only in studying and work tasks, but also in matters related to housing, finances and health. If necessary, the City of Vantaa Youth Services provides assistance for on-the- job counsellors and immediate supervisors in matters related to counselling and apprenticeship training. In the last four years, 78 students have started in apprenticeship training, and 41 have completed the training. In total, 94% of those who completed the apprenticeship training are currently employed by the City of Vantaa or some other employer.
The strengths of the operating model adopted by the City of Vantaa include it being similar to the youth work approach, the versatile support related to apprenticeship training provided for students, a strong cooperation network, and the positive role for Youth Services as an employer that emphasises youth participation and develops the operating model. The prerequisites for the successful implementation of the operating model include:
– Listening to young people, interacting with them, and taking their needs into account as regards learning at the workplace and at school
– The strong role of on-the-job counsellors
– Timely support, close relations between collaborators and partnership that all help to prevent interruptions in apprenticeship training
The City of Vantaa’s annual (net) subsidised apprenticeship training costs for the provision of apprenticeship training leading to a vocational qualification for young people is 20,028 euros per person, which comprises personnel costs, on-the-job guidance, psychosocial support, theoretical training and administrative costs. The income comprises a government subsidy and training compensations. The city’s tax revenues can also be regarded as income. The alternative cost to subsidised apprenticeship training would be the benefits, mainly social assistance, paid by the City to a young unemployed person living on his or her own, which would amount to approximately 10,000 euros per year35. The cost of studying at the Vantaa Vocational College Varia is approximately 10,000 euros. The calculations have not taken account of central government expenditure items such as student social benefits or labour market subsidies36.
Enhancing young people’s welfare through social and health services
The accessibility, timeliness, quality and sufficient supply of social and healthcare services play a key role in supporting young people in their journey to full members of society. The service system for families, from maternity clinic to child welfare clinic, as well as special services such as educational and family clinics and home help services for families with children create a support structure for the full growth, development and learning of a child. Early support enables the prevention of social exclusion at an early stage and provides children and young people with capabilities to cope in the latter stages of life as regards education, job seeking and working life.
Mental health and substance misuse services are too far apart within the service system. Mental health services mainly fall under health services, whereas substance misuse services fall under social services. A scattered service system hinders the access to services of people who are in need of them, and also makes it easier to become excluded from them. Some of the services are provided by municipalities themselves, while others are provided by organisations and private sector service providers. The development of outpatient care has become a secondary goal because a disproportionate share of the mental health and substance misuse service expenditure is spent on institutional care. However, it is also important to develop the work that promotes good mental health and a substance-free life and prevents problems.
Through the National Development Plan for Social Welfare and Health Care (the Kaste Programme), a special appropriation is allocated for the development of the municipal service structure from 2012 to 2014. The programme will include the launch of regional projects for developing the psychosocial outpatient care services for children and young people in their own growth environment. In compliance with the Government Programme, a cross-administrative action plan for reducing social exclusion, poverty and health problems will be launched. It will include measures that support the realisation of the youth guarantee.