YES Forum (Youth European Social Work Forum)

19/08/2026

Don't forget to register for our Policy Event now! Places are limited.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/rg7jhXke3G

12/08/2026

Fresh Newsletter in your Outlook inbox celebrating 🥳

If you are not on our mailing list yet, please subscribe here:
www.yes-forum.eu/newsletter

06/08/2026

Are you just back to the office after your vacation and would like to reconnect with our network?
Catch up on the latest funding opportunities?
Share new project ideas?
Just need a coffee? ☕

👉Join us for an (Y)Espresso this Friday!

Send us a dm for the meeting link or check on our website/ upcoming events

21/07/2026

08/07/2026

Today, the YES Forum held a constructive meeting with Georgi Dimitrov, Cabinet Member for Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu. Our conversation centered on the policy priorities closest to our members. 🧵

We focused on elevating the voices of disadvantaged youth and social workers in EU decision-making. We gave a special shout-out to our brilliant member Activa for their vital work increasing mobility opportunities for young people with disabilities! 🇪🇺

We also assessed the risks and opportunities of the digital & AI transition for NEETs. To give an example of how effective youth work can bridge the digital and real world, we highlighted how Stichting SCN brings young people's passion for gaming into safe, communal spaces. 💻🎮

These themes tie directly into our project, which aims to combat Euroscepticism and transform young people into active "EU Ambassadors." We look forward to continued engagement with the EU on these vital topics!

02/07/2026

We are happy to announce that our new Erasmus+ project "Generation LINK" officially started on 1 July.
It was developed in response to three documented problems in the youth and social work sector:

👉 a large share of the most experienced workforce will retire within the next five to ten years, taking with them tacit knowledge that was never written down

👉 younger staff often leave the sector early because of stress, low pay and limited development opportunities, and

👉 communication gaps between generations in the workplace can hinder knowledge exchange.

LINK addresses this by pairing junior and senior colleagues in reciprocal-mentoring tandems that begin with informal trust-building and move into structured work on a real organisational challenge.

We are looking forward to working with our partners: CMO Stamm (NL), Internationaler Bund (DE) and Pitea Kommun (SE) for the next three years to contribute to improved intergenerational dialogue and coherence in the workplace of youth and social workers.
suedwest

19/06/2026

Time to celebrate! After 2.5 years of hard work partners of the Back on Track project met in Timisoara (RO) this week for the Closing Conference.

The project successfully provided Targeted Training Approaches to Improve Employability and Social Inclusion for Rural NEETs in the Danube Region.

The final conference was led by YES Forums member organisation ÖJAB. It brought together politicians from local to European level, as well as youth and social workers from the grasroot and project partners to discuss project results.

Have a look at the project results: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/back-on-track/results

19/06/2026

Together with over 250 organisations we as YES Forum have signed an open letter to the European Council calling for a stronger social dimension in the next EU budget.

The signatories urge EU leaders to:
✔ Preserve ESF+ and ERDF as stand-alone funds
✔ Increase social investment
✔ Protect funding for social inclusion, child poverty, homelessness and youth employment
✔ Strengthen partnership with civil society, local and regional authorities
The future EU budget must continue to deliver for people and communities across Europe.

You find the letter on our website

13/05/2026

Games Night - YES Forum edition! 🥳🎲🚀 Last Wednesday our secretariat team met for an entertaining after-work-activity . We played one round of "Europe United" - the board game that has been developped within our project "EU player".

Although we could not save Europe in one evening, we are confident now, that we will do so in the end! 😉