The main goal of Youth Information and Counseling (YIC) is to help young people orient themselves in all aspects of their life and to promote taking on independent choices. It is not possible to make sure choices without knowing all possibilities and alternatives. Knowing different possibilities is the first step, after which comes the consideration of the different possibilities, comparing them in a larger context, and is coordinated with the possibilities of the young person’s possibilities, skills, and goals. These steps are hard for everyone, especially for young people, who are still developing as individuals and are encountering these challenges for the first time. 

Internet portals have abundant amounts of information in any area relevant to a young person. Presenting information found on the internet while considering its specificities, which is why ERYICA confirmed the European Youth Information Charter; YIC uses their released principles to direct their work.

Main YIC goals:

• To provide reliable, accurate and understandable information;
• To provide access to variety of information sources and channels;
• To prepare a review of all opportunities in youth related topics;
• To ensure that young people would know their rights, and services provided to hem and understand how to use them;
• To help to evaluate and select high quality information in information excess time;
• To motivate young people to decide independently and help them to find the best options;
• To offer many different communication and interaction channels in order to directly help young people in search of information while expanding their knowledge;
• To actively contribute young peoples’ literacy of information.

YIC development:

The Guide of Youth Information and Counseling was published in 2013. It was updated in 2015.

Other useful methodological publications for young people and people working with youth can be found here.

The Departament of youth affairs under the Ministry of social security and labour asked YIC units what questions are relevant to young people when choosing studies and career. The answers of YIC units shows that the questions asked by young people are often similar. The Departament of youth affairs prepared a list of frequently asked questions which could help to choose studies or profession.

On 25th March of 2019, by order of the head of The Departament of youth affairs under the Ministry of social security and labour, recommendations intended for ensuring high quality YIC services were released. These recommendations define the purpose, tasks, principles of YIC sevices, also the procedure and activity planning of YIC services providing organizations.

General Youth Information and Counseling includes consultations in these topics:

• education (e.g. secondary, vocational education, studies, language learning, informal education);
• youth rights and duties (e.g. as citizen, human, family member, user);
• literacy of information (e.g. search of information, basics of using computer and internet, safety on the internet);
• leisure and involvement in public activities (e.g. summer camps, events, youth organizations and organizations which work with youth);
• social problems solving subjects (e.g. help providing institutions);
• psichological help subjects;
• health, youth psichological, reproductive health subjects;
• youth financial and business leisure subjects (e.g. personal finances management, responsible borrowing, creating business);
• adictive substances consumption prevention subjects;
• youth employment subjects (e.g. employment opportunities);
• young families’ needs (responsible parenting) and habitation;
• youth voluntary activities;
• informal youth education;
• youth employment and leisure (e.g. open youth centres’ activity, open youth places’ activity, work with “youth in the streets” services);
• youth empowerement and participating.