Who we are
The Catalan Association of Youth Policies Professionals (AcPpJ) was founded at the end of 2004 with the desire to gather, defend and promote the reivindications and rights of Youth Policies workers.
What are Youth Policies?
According to the Youth Policy Law passed by the Catalan Parliament on October 8th, 2010, youth policies are the interventions of agents that attend necessities on different aspects of young people´s lifes, specially of those who are in a situation of social vulnerability.
Who are the Professionals of Youth Policies?
Youth policies Professionals are those that work researching, designing ,in management, implementation or evaluating plans, programs or projects aimed at young people, from public institutions, private companies or associations and other non lucrative organizations.
Related professional roles:
Professionals in involvement/dynamization, youth information, technical management of youth departments/areas, teams leadership, sociology…
1. Statement of Intent
More than 30 years ago, Catalonia has implemented pioneering youth policies at a estate and European level, in many fields. Its development has been possible thanks to the voluntary and enthusiastic dedication of hundreds of professionals that have always prioritised the desire for community service, and the defense and support of young people. In turn, our collective has suffered, generally speaking, deplorable working conditions, high levels of precarity, and a lack of recognition at a professional and technical level.
The Catalan Association of Youth Policy Professionals was created with the objective to fix this situation. As professionals, our voice is technically the most authoritative to discuss and propose actions oriented for young people, our efforts must be to maintain this quality, to consolidate and advance in our field of work: youth policies. However, in order to achive our objective, decent working conditions, adequate levels of professional recognition, sufficient salaries, specialized training programs and sound and stable regulations of the profession must be guaranteed.
Since the founding of AcPpJ, we have overcome many hurdles and achieved some objectives. At the present, a worthy formation to youth policy workers is provided by the administration. We have identified and registered those professionals working in our field, thanks to a study the association carried out in 2008. This study is part of our in-house series of publications, that favours the growth of literature of our field of work. In October 2010, the long awaited Law of Youth Policies was passed, 30 years after the entry into force of the Statute of Autonomy.
After 10 years working, the AcPpJ has shown the administration and the rest of youth policy agents, that youth workers are valid, authorized and essential interlocutors for the growth and improvement of youth policies. The asociation still has many challenges ahead, especially those with regards to the regulation of professional profiles and ensuring that our profession obtains place of prestige and adequate social recognition proportional to the importance of our everyday work.
It is with the strength of the workers, that we can assert our rights.
2. Board Members and Technical Team.
On the 17th of May 2004 AcPpJ was funded, its founding members were:
Òscar Mestre Cabistany, Pep Montes Sala, Joan Vigó Arnau, Francesc Llimona Renter, Núria Picallo Soler, Anna Gallart Capdevila, Carli Farràs Romero i Marta Ortoneda Colom.
Committee Board Members 2005-2018:
Maika Farriols Conangla, Helena Guiu Suhé, Erica Busto Navarro, Santi Caño Pico, Marta Montserrat, Ruth Dencàs, Carles Vila Mumbrú, Carles Cunill Rodríguez, Marta Montserrat Grau, Manuel Cortés Pinto, Diana Perea Martínez, Mario Granados Garcia, Carles Vila Mumbrú, Santi Caño Pico, Núria Arlández, Helena Zamorano, Manel Turon i González, Xavier Ruiz Lora, Belen Rodríguez Hermida, Víctor Saló Jové, Mercedes Carod Cepervelo, Iban Alcaraz Corbella, Marta Bravo Monreal, Carles Viñas Aulet, Núria Vallès i López, Emilia Corona Calvet, Antoni Martí Marsal, Francesc Guirro Llauradó, Mireia Mora Villalonga, Beatriz García Idioate, Pep Montes Sala, Òscar Mestre Cabistany, Joan Vigó Arnau, Lídia Montero Pérez, Francesc Llimona Renter, Joan Minguell i Solé, Marta Ortoneda Colom, Susanna Casas i Bou, Anna Gallart Capdevila, Carli Farràs Romero, Manel Gassó i Quixal, Gonzalo Plata Jiménez, Ruth Tramullas i Bartra.
Technical Team Members 2005-2018:
Pep Guasch Capell, Carles Viñas Aulet, Carla Pedragosa Figueras.
3.Objectives and projects achieved.
- The establishment of institutional relationships, collaborations and agreements with the Directorate-General for Youth of the “Generalitat de Catalunya (regional government of Catalonia)”, the Barcelona Delegation Office of Youth Planning and the Directorate-General for Adolescence and Youth of the Council of Barcelona.
- The establishment of collaborative relationships with the National Council of Catalan Youth (CNJC) , Council for Youth in Barcelona (CJB), Professional Association of Political Scientists and Sociologists of Catalonia (COLPIS), Association for Educators and Social Educators of Catalonia (CEESC), and the Catalan Association of Leisure, Education and Culture Companies (ACELLEC).
- Direct contact with parlamentary groups, with several appereances in the Commission for Youth Policies of the Parlament of Catalonia as representatives of professionals in the field of youth.
- Participation in the Catalan Network of Youth Information Services (XCSIJ), Advisory board of the Inter-university Master´s Degree in Youth and Society. Participation in drafting of the first Law for Youth Policies of Catalonia. Development of the professional profile of youth information workers, in collaboration with INJUVE…
- Drafting diverse documents of professional interest: From the portrait to the challenge, Basic Information for youth workers training.
- Publications of the AcPpJ: “Youth Policies, glossary of terms”, Jordi Casanovas (01.2008), “Study on the Census for Workers in the field of youth in Catalonia 2008″ (02.2010), ” Good practices on the fiel of youth” (03.2013).
- Organisation of the Specialization Programme in Local Youth Policies, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.
- Project, on-line platform and symposiums on good practices in the field of youth.
- Signing of the Declaration of Palma (2007), where several spanish associations of youth policies professionals agree on working together for the dignification of youth policies workers.
- Organization of the First State Meeting of Youth Workers Associations (2007).
- Host entity for European Voluntary Service (SVE), with contacts at the international level.
- Design and development of the first census for Workers in the field of youth in Catalonia (2008-2009)
- Design and development of the second census for Workers in the field of youth in Catalonia (2018)
- Creation of the Reflexion Group for the Training of Youth workers (GREF,2009).
- Organization of the Courses “Youth Policies, Today” (Catalonia, Barcelona 2010), (Lleida and Tarragona 2011)
- Coordination of the first Basic Training Course in Youth Policies, organized by the Secretary of Youth/Directorate-General of Youth. (Generalitat de Catalunya).
- Participation in various events, symposiums and commissions of interest and in defense of the professionals in the field of youth. First Round-table of Dialog to define and regulate the proffesional profiles of youth. First Catalan Congress on Social Education, Catalan Network of Youth Information Services (XCSIJ).
4.Reports and Documentation AcPpJ
