Ung Kraft/Youth Power has been collaborating with international partners from Austria, Croatia and Germany on the “Digital Transformation of Inclusive Youth Work” project. This initiative, co-financed by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program, aims to enhance youth work at the local level through digital transformation.
A crucial component of the project, and one of its initial activities, is the development of a Strategy that will guide local youth work transformation. Research is a key component of any strategic plan. For the purpose of developing our Strategy, we will use research methods consisting of an anonymous survey targeted at youth and youth organizations, as well as focus groups targeting the youth.
A focus group was conducted as part of a structured dialogue, involving 16 young migrants and asylum seekers in Sweden.
Here are the discussion questions that were used for the focus group:
- Are you familiar with the concept of digital tools? Can you name some?
- Have you heard of the term youth work? Can you describe some of the activities?
- How would you rate the current level of digital literacy among young people in our community?
- Which digital tools are currently available to you to use in your daily life?
- What are the advantages of using digital tools in working with young people? What are the disadvantages?
- Which digital tools do you find most useful for participating in youth work activities?
- What prerequisites are needed to be able to use them?
- What obstacles or challenges arise in the use of digital tools in youth work activities aimed at young migrants and/ or asylum seekers?
- What kind of training and support would be needed to improve your digital literacy and use of digital tools?
- Digital tools in general – what are your thoughts?
Main findings of the structured dialogue with young migrants and asylum seekers, confirmed several key findings from our initial desk research. The main issue in Sweden is not access to free internet or technology, it is the lack of knowledge, digital skills, and motivation in acquiring those digital skills for personal and professional development.
This last issue, motivating youth to actively participate in youth work activities, is as crucial as the digital transformation of youth work and deserves equal attention.
