This master thesis focuses on the characteristics of youth workers in NGO youth centres. In the theoretical background, I first define different aspects of youth work. I describe young users and their characteristics, define youth work, youth workers and origins of the profession. I also describe youth centres and other findings in the field of youth work so far. I continue with empirical part, in which I researched what kind of work tasks youth workers perform, what kind of obstacles and advantages they face in their work, and how these affect the quality of their work. I used semi-structured interviews as a research tool in the descriptive method of the qualitative research approach. The sample was selected intentionally, by contacting NGOs that have youth centres under their umbrella. It comprises 10 youth workers from nine different youth centres. The results show that youth workers often face different challenges in their work. The most common are systematic, financial and in the field of human resources. Youth workers need to be flexible in their work and carry out a wide range of tasks. The working environment is in some ways conducive and in others inhibitive to the quality of work. Finally, the youth workers propose some suggestions for changes in their field of work that would enable them to improve their working conditions and thus the quality of their work. With my master's thesis, I wish to provide a deeper insight into the work of youth workers working in NGO youth centres and want to encourage critical reflection and shifts towards greater professionalisation of the profession and systemic regulation of youth work.
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