Estonia

Estonia takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to youth policy. The Estonian youth policy is based on the Youth Work Act (2010), which has been revised eight times since itsadoption, and the Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035 (sometimes referred to as the "Youth Field Development Plan 2021-2035" depending on the translation). This plan is based on current evidence and research in the field and the cross-cutting strategy Estonia 2035. Young people have been actively involved in the creation and implementation of the plan, which defines four strategic goals _ momentum; participation; independence; security _ that address specific hurdles related to the social inclusion of youth.

The plan's overall goal is that "a wide variety of development opportunities, a sense of security, and strong support for young people create an Estonian state that they wish to further", the indicator being the percentage of young people with trust in their state.

The preceding 2014-2020 plan won the Future Policy Gold Award 2019 for political participation and civil engagement of youth and, according to the World Future Council, was "one of the first youth policies globally to fully respect the Baku Principles for Youth Policy."

The Ministry of Education and Research is the Estonian ministry primarily in charge of youth. Within the ministry, the Department of Youth and Talent Policy is responsible for particular issues surrounding youth. As stated in the EU Youth Wiki, the main tasks of the department are to "ensure the design and organisation of the implementation of the national youth, talent, hobby and non-formal education policy and the planning and organisation of the implementation of youth work".

The Education and Youth Board (Harno) is the national agency that deals with the implementation of education and youth policy. It was formed in August 2020 through the merger of a number of organisations, including the former Estonian Youth Work Centre.

The Estonian National Youth Council (ENL) is the representative body for youth, acting as an umbrella organisation for youth organisations and local youth councils. The ENL is represented in several governmental decision-making bodies and councils. It advocates for youth interests in legislation and for increased and more transparent financing for youth organisations.

The Youth Work Act (2010) creates a legal framework for municipal level youth councils. The ENL itself supports the establishment of local youth councils through training and funding.

According to the EU Youth Wiki, the organisation and financing of youth work is mainly the responsibility of the local/municipal governments, who finance the majority of youth work with their own budget and income. It also states that the youth sector is considered to "encompass both youth work and youth policy, tightly connected to each other".

The national government acts as the provider of a legal and strategic framework for youth work, which is based on the Youth Work Act(2010) - which creates a legal foundation for the organisation and financing of youth work - and the broader Local Government Organisation Act (1993). The Youth Department of the Education and Youth Board (Harno) is also involved, dealing with "monitoring and impact assessment in the field of youth and the development and implementation of the quality system of local government youth work."

In addition, aspects of the strategic objectives of the Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035 focus on youth work. The strategy defines youth work as a professional area, and it aims for the availability of high-quality youth work throughout the country and continuous support for its development.

Youth work and youth workers are subject to certain quality and occupational standards, and an increasing number of municipalities require some type of youth work education or professional certificate for paid youth workers. According to the EU Youth Wiki, youth work can be studied at three academic institutions in Estonia: Tallin University, Tartu University Narva College, and Tartu University Viljandi Cultural Academy.

The total budget allocated for the Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035 is EUR 356.29 million (USD 385.6 million), estimating an annual budget ranging between EUR 22.3 million (USD 24.1 million) and EUR 30.5 million (USD 33 million) to achieve the strategy's goals. According to the EU Youth Wiki, it can be generally stated that these funds cover the capacity building of service providers in youth work, including training; the implementation of specific measures and provision of youth work services; as well as analysis and monitoring.

The total expenditures for the Ministry of Education and Research in 2022 were EUR 810.8 million (USD 877.5 million). Of this total, EUR 565.6 million (USD 612.1 million) was allocated to the "Education and Youth Programme".