6 Country Reports on Youth Work - Jugendpolitik in Europa

Comments:
Differences between national and local level
The picture that can be drawn from the local level in Ireland is that there are isolated
activities provided by youth associations trying to establish a minimal setting of youth work.
At local level only one youth centre exists. Thus the main objective of the youth associations
operating at local level is the establishment of meeting places for youngsters. There is little
professional support for the given project as only five youth workers were identified as
employed staff. Youth work is based above all on voluntary commitment. The lack of
professionals is striking as the existing local initiatives address to disadvantaged youngsters
that need intensive development support.
In contrast to the data given at national level, it can be stated that there are many more
projects than youth centres.
10.6 Italy
Data base:
It Italy the attempt to run local surveys was not practicable due to the non-existence of
offices, information desks or responsible institutions that could provide basic information.
Each city has several institutions involved in youth work:
Institutions involved in youth work:
� voluntary associations;
� NGOs providing social services;
� sport groups;
� church groups;
� schools;
90
� institutions
education;
for extracurricular youth
� information desks from private and public
institutions;
� employment centres run by the
Department of Labour.
Nevertheless, information about the youth work provided within these institutions or
associations and groups has to be collected in each of the organisations, and even there,
there is no adequate reporting structure. The Youth Council of Caltanissetta, for example,
was not able to inform researchers about the youth work activities in its area, even though it
is a proper and responsible provider of youth work.
The scarce information gathered in Italy comes from the municipalities of Enna and
Caltanissetta, which are both located in Sicily. In Enna the Eurodesk and the local
employment centre were able to contribute some data about their youth work activities and
the number of young people benefiting from employment services.