What exactly is a Youthpass Certificate? All participants who have participated in an approved project under the “Youth in Action Programme” or European Voluntary Service, Youth Exchanges, Training Courses or Youth Initiatives, have the right to receive recognitionfor their participation and acquired skills. The Youthpass Certificate is an instrument, developed especially for this purpose. It’s a tool for participants of projects funded by the “Youth in Action Programme” ( etc.) to describe what they have done during projects and what they have learnt, which can be very useful for the future. The Youthpass Certificate is part of the European Commission’s strategy to foster the recognition of non-formal learning. As a tool to visualize and to validate learning outcomes gained during “Youth in Action” projects, it puts policy into practice and practice into policy:
- Creating the Youthpass Certificate together with a support person, gives participants of the valid projects the possibility to describe what they have done during this projects and which competences they have acquired. A Youthpass Certificate supports the reflection upon the personal non-formal learning process and summarizes your skills, which is very useful for job interviews in the future.
- Documenting the added value of a “Youth in Action” project, the Youthpass Certificate visualizes and supports active European citizenship of young people and youth workers.
- Being a Europe-wide validation instrument for non-formal learning in the youth field, Youthpass contributes to strengthening of the social recognition of youth work.
- Visible- making of key competences through a Youthpass Certificate, finally aims at supporting the employability of young people and youth workers.
What is the Youthpass Certificate NOT?
- Something that gives any rights to the holder, it is a tool.
- A formal accreditation of competences.
- A replacement for any formal qualifications.
- Available to demonstrate learning outcomes from projects under the “Youth programme” (which came to an end in 2006)