A professional digital competence toolbox for youth work

The professional digital competence toolbox for youth work, created by Verke, is intended as support material for youth work organisations to structure, assess and develop their staff members’ professional digital skills. 

The toolbox contains three tools:
1) The criteria for professional digital competence in youth work.
2) A professional digital competence self-assessment tool.
3) A competence test.

All the material may be used for free. If you would like to know more or want to book a session to discuss utilising the tools in your work community, please contact Verke’s Planning Officer Denice Lönnroth (denice@verke.org, tfn. 050 5623 611).

The criteria for professional digital competence in youth work

The professional digital competence criteria for youth work highlight the type of digital competence that every youth work professional should possess in order to carry out high-quality youth work that corresponds to the needs of young people. The criteria consist of six competence areas, each with a list of practical competence requirements, both in terms of the digital skills needed in the work and the digital competence in youth work in general.

 The criteria are based on the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) produced by the European Commission. They have been developed together with youth work sector actors.

A professional digital competence self-assessment tool

This self-assessment tool was created based on the professional digital competence criteria for youth work, and you can use it to assess your own digital competence and improvement needs. The purpose of self-assessment is to reflect on how well you meet the competence criteria. You can print out a copy of the self-assessment tool for yourself or save it in PDF format and fill it in electronically.

The self-assessment tool can be used, for example, for the following:

• to identify personal strengths and weaknesses
• to evaluate and improve the work community’s professional digital competence
• to determine staff members’ training needs
• to hire and induct new employees.

Test your level of professional digital competence in youth work

The test is based on the competence criteria, and its aim is to help you measure your professional digital competence in youth work. The test comprises 30 questions. For each question, you must choose the right answer from four options. You should allow roughly 30 minutes to complete the test and go over the correct answers.