Advocacy
We actively engage in advocacy and policy dialogue to amplify the perspectives of professionals and disadvantaged young people, ensuring their integration into decision-making processes.
Report on the infrastructure of youth (care) and social work in Europe (2025)
This report takes a closer look at how youth care and social work is organised across Europe, and why it looks so different from country to country. It explores legal frameworks, funding models and who delivers services on the ground, while drawing on insights from YES Forum member organisations working directly with disadvantaged young people. By combining policy analysis with data from Youth Wiki, Eurostat and the European Semester, the report highlights the risk of talking past each other at EU level and makes the case for recognising youth and social work as essential social infrastructure.
Final report: Dialogue with stakeholders and policymakers on rural youth, social and digital inclusion of NEETs in the Danube Region (2025)
This report captures the key takeaways from the YES Forum policy dialogue in Brussels (November 2025), bringing together young people, youth and social workers, and EU policymakers to talk about the realities facing rural NEETs in the Danube Region. It connects lived experience on the ground with EU priorities like the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Youth Guarantee, highlights the Back on Track project as a practical example of what works, and distils clear messages on why local, community-led solutions, better digital inclusion, and genuine youth participation are essential if no young person is to be left behind.
European Social Cohesion in the Digital Era – Youth and Social Work Perspectives (2024)
This report seeks to highlight the perspectives of young participants, professionals and representatives of European institutions on the topic of digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence. With particular attention given to how we can ensure that digitalisation benefits everybody in our society equitably, and why it is so important that policymakers listen and involve young people and professionals in decision-making processes.
Navigating the digital transition: New Technologies in Youth and Social Work - Policy Paper (2024)
This policy paper focuses on the opportunities and risks of new technologies in youth and social work and provides insights from the experience of the YES Forum.
Key messages for enhancing active citizenship among vulnerable youth (2024)
In order to remove barriers of civic and political engagement for vulnerable youth and break the cycle of disengagement, YES Forum advocates for the adoption of its six key messages, which have been designed to enhance the participation and inclusion of vulnerable young.
Position Paper on Erasmus+ evaluation (2023)
In our position paper, we highlight that to improve the Erasmus+ programme accessibility should be a priority in the years to come. Vulnerable youth needs must be better addressed to ensure their inclusion. Moreover, it should be easier to step in for organizations supporting them, especially smaller grassroots organizations.
Archive
Position Paper on Erasmus+ evaluation (2023) Download
Guidelines - Making EU language more accessible for young people (2023) Download
Policy Paper - Making EU language more accessible for young people (2023) Download
Statement on the Public consultation on the mid-term evaluation of the EU Youth Strategy (2023) Download
Position Paper - Inclusive Learning Opportunities (2023) Download
Policy Paper - COVID-19 Impact and Recommendations (2022) Download
How to guarantee inclusivity of hands-on approaches at VET, education and life-long learning? (2022) Download
Guidelines - Improving intergenerational dialogue at work (2022) Download
Position Paper - Inclusive Youth and Education Programmes (2020) Download
Policy recommendations related to projects
The experience we gather in our projects is transformed in diverse recommendations and guidelines addressed to policy-makers.
Reports & articles
Through our network's and members' activities we gain relevant expertise regarding social inclusion and active participation of young people. We transform this learning into different publications to share this knowledge with others.
Article - The social inclusion of rural NEETs in the EU and the UK (2025)
The article explores European and British policies to enhance social inclusion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), as well as civil society organisations' initiatives to tackle this issue. It also introduce good practices examples, as the Back on Track project.
Embracing Diversity in the Youth Sector for a Fruitful Social Dialogue (2024)
In order to learn more about how to tackle the challenges associated with diversity within groups, and to get the best out of social dialogue, it is important to share best practices derived from real-life experiences of the YES Forum network and partners.
Analysis - NEETs in Europe (2024)
We have contributed to the publication "Dreizehn", edited by our member BAG EJSA, with an analysis of the situation of NEETs in the Danube region.
Learning Mobilities across Europe for (young) professionals within the network (2023)
The YES Forum is committed to promoting inclusive learning opportunities which are accessible to youth, irrespective of their background.
In this report, we identify challenges and articulate recommendations based on our experience obtained in the field of youth work, education and vocational training. We advocate for the implementation of these recommendations with the aim to ensure that learning mobilities become accessible and truly inclusive for disadvantaged youth or professionals.
Impact Reports
Every year we summarize our achievements and activities in these reports. We aim, on one hand, to be transparent with our members and funders. On the other hand, our Impact Reports reflect our network's vision and values: to empower young people.
