Youth Promotion

The Federal Chancellery has a wide range of instruments at its disposal for the implementation of youth policy objectives. In addition to the preparation of legislative measures, youth work takes place via the financial support of youth organisations, youth initiatives, clubs and associations and youth projects, via counselling and information offers for children and young people and via continuing services, and is thus an important instrument of youth policy. This youth promotion takes into account the fact that youth work is also the task of youth organisations and youth associations.

Federal Youth Promotion

On 1 January 2001, the Federal Youth Promotion Act (Federal Act on the Promotion of Education and Upbringing outside Schools and the Promotion of Youth Work (Federal Youth Promotion Act), Federal Law Gazette I No. 126/2000 of 29 December 2000; Bundesgesetz über die Förderung der außerschulischen Jugenderziehung und Jugendarbeit (Bundes-Jugendförderungsgesetz), BGBl. I Nr. 126/2000, 29. Dezember 2000] came into effect. The aim of this law is the financial support of measures for the education and upbringing of young people and of youth work outside the schools sector, particularly to promote the development of the intellectual, psychological, physical, social, political, religious and ethnic competencies of children and young people.

Young people in the meaning of the federal law are all those up to the age of 30.

Principles of youth work

Worthy of support are youth work offers from youth organisations, youth initiatives, youth groups and open youth work bodies, which in particular orientate themselves towards the following principles:

  • Attending to matters of concern for and the interests of young people
  • Co-determination and participation of young people in all areas of life
  • Responsibility, independence and the promotion of democracy
  • promotion of innovative processes and projects
  • Personal development and the physical, emotional and intellectual development of young people
  • Promotion of young people’s tolerance, communication and peaceful coexistence as well as the promotion of mutual understanding in the domestic and international fields
  • Support of education which promotes communities and is human-rights oriented
  • Political- and citizenship education as well as religious- and ethics-related education for young people
  • Development of the social commitment of young people
  • Promotion of
    • lifestyle- and health-related education
    • vocational- and career-related education
    • generation-related education
    • development of the creative powers of young people, in order to facilitate their active participation in cultural life
    • equality of the sexes and
    • integration of people with disabilities

Contact

Youth Policy 
Email: jugendpolitik@bka.gv.at