This article examines young people’s experiences of open access youth work in settings in the UK, Finland, Estonia, Italy and France. It analyses 844 individual narratives from young people, which communicate the impact of youthwork on their lives. These accounts are then analysed in the light of the European youth work policy goals. It concludes that it is encouraging that what young people identify as the positive impact of youth work are broadly consistent with many of these goals. There are however some disparities which require attention. These include the importance young people place on the social context of youth work, such as friendship, which is largely absent in EU youth work policy; as well as the importance placed on experiential learning. The paper also highlights a tension between ‘top down’ policy formulation and the ‘youth centric’ practices of youth work. It concludes with a reminder to policy makers that for youth work to remain successful the spaces and places for young people must remain meaningful to them ‘on their terms’.

本文考察了英国、芬兰、爱沙尼亚、意大利和法国的年轻人在开放获取青年工作中的经历。它分析了来自年轻人的 844 个个人叙述，这些叙述传达了青年工作对他们生活的影响。然后根据欧洲青年工作政策目标分析这些账户。它得出的结论是，令人鼓舞的是，年轻人认为青年工作的积极影响与其中许多目标大体一致。然而，有一些差异需要注意。其中包括年轻人对青年工作的社会背景的重视，例如友谊，这在欧盟青年工作政策中基本上没有；以及对体验式学习的重视。该文件还强调了“自上而下”的政策制定与青年工作的“以青年为中心”的做法之间的紧张关系。最后提醒政策制定者，要让青年工作保持成功，青年的空间和场所必须“按他们的条件”对他们有意义。