Youth Wiki national description Youth policies in Belgium (Flemish Community) 2017 The Youth Wiki is Europe's online encyclopaedia in the area of national youth policies. The platform is a comprehensive database of national structures, policies and actions supporting young people. For the updated version of this national description, please visit https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/en/youthwiki Youth Youth policies in Belgium (Flemish Community) – 2017 Youth Wiki Belgium (Flemish Community) 1. Youth Policy Governance ................................................................................ 9 1.1 Target population of youth policy.................................................................................. 9 1.2 National youth law ...................................................................................................... 9 1.3 National youth strategy .............................................................................................. 11 1.4 Youth policy decision-making ...................................................................................... 13 1.5 Cross-sectoral approach with other ministries ............................................................... 16 1.6 Evidence-based youth policy ....................................................................................... 17 1.7 Funding youth policy .................................................................................................. 19 1.8 Cross-border cooperation ........................................................................................... 21 1.9 Current debates and reforms ...................................................................................... 22 2. Voluntary Activities ...................................................................................... 22 2.1 General context ......................................................................................................... 23 2.2 Administration and governance of youth volunteering .................................................... 23 2.3 National strategy on youth volunteering ....................................................................... 25 2.4 Laws and regulations on youth volunteering ................................................................. 26 2.5 Youth volunteering at national level ............................................................................. 27 2.6 Cross-border mobility programmes .............................................................................. 28 2.7 Raising awareness about youth volunteering opportunities ............................................. 28 2.8 Skills recognition ....................................................................................................... 29 2.9 Current debates and reforms ...................................................................................... 30 3. Employment & Entrepreneurship .................................................................. 31 3.1 General context ......................................................................................................... 31 3.2 Administration and Governance ................................................................................... 33 3.3 Skills Forecasting ...................................................................................................... 36 3.4 Career Guidance and Counselling ................................................................................ 36 3.5 Traineeships and Apprenticeships ................................................................................ 38 3.6 Integration of Young People in the Labour Market .......................................................... 41 3.7 Cross-Border Mobility in Employment, Entrepreneurship and Vocational Opportunities ....... 44 3.8 Development of Entrepreneurship Competence ............................................................. 45 3.9 Start-up Funding for Young Entrepreneurs .................................................................... 48 3.10 Promotion of Entrepreneurship Culture ....................................................................... 49 3.11 Current Debates and Reforms ................................................................................... 50 4. Social Inclusion ............................................................................................ 50 4.1 General context ......................................................................................................... 50 4.2 Administration and governance ................................................................................... 56 4.3 Strategy for the social inclusion of young people ........................................................... 62 4.4 Inclusive programmes for young people ....................................................................... 64 4.5 Initiatives promoting social inclusion and raising awareness ............................................ 66 3 Youth policies in Belgium (Flemish Community) – 2017 Youth Wiki 4.6 Access to quality services ........................................................................................... 68 4.7 Youth work to foster social inclusion ............................................................................ 70 4.8 Current debates and reforms ...................................................................................... 73 5. Participation ................................................................................................. 73 5.1 General context ......................................................................................................... 74 5.2 Youth participation in representative democracy ............................................................ 76 5.3 Youth representation bodies ....................................................................................... 78 5.4 Young people's participation in policy-making ............................................................... 81 5.5 National strategy to increase youth participation ........................................................... 84 5.6 Supporting youth organisations ................................................................................... 85 5.7 “Learning to participate” through formal, non-formal and informal learning ...................... 86 5.8 Raising political awareness among young people ........................................................... 89 5.9 E-participation .......................................................................................................... 91 5.10 Current debates and reforms .................................................................................... 91 6. Education and Training ................................................................................. 92 6.1 General context ......................................................................................................... 92 6.2 Administration and governance ................................................................................... 98 6.3 Preventing early leaving from education and training (ELET) ......................................... 101 6.4 Validation of non-formal and informal learning ............................................................ 105 6.5 Cross-border learning mobility .................................................................................. 107 6.6 Social inclusion through education and training ........................................................... 110 6.7 Skills for innovation ................................................................................................. 114 6.8 Media literacy and safe use of new media ................................................................... 115 6.9 Awareness-raising about non-formal and informal learning and quality youth work .......... 118 6.10 Current debates and reforms .................................................................................. 118 7. Health and Well-Being ................................................................................ 120 7.1 General context ....................................................................................................... 120 7.2 Administration and governance ................................................................................. 123 7.3 Sport, youth fitness and physical activity .................................................................... 126 7.4 Healthy lifestyles and healthy nutrition ....................................................................... 130 7.5 Mental health .......................................................................................................... 136 7.6 Mechanisms of early detection and signposting of young people facing health risks ......... 138 7.7 Making health facilities more youth friendly ................................................................ 140 7.8 Current debates and reforms .................................................................................... 140 8. Creativity and Culture ................................................................................. 140 8.1 General context ....................................................................................................... 141 8.2 Administration and governance ................................................................................. 144 8.3 National strategy on creativity and culture for young people ........................................