Outreach Youth Workers Expand Reach in Tampere, From City Centre to Discord

According to the City of Tampere, outreach youth workers are meeting 16–28‑year‑olds in more locations across Tampere this autumn, including the city centre, Hervanta, youth centres Kolo and Hehku, and online Discord channels.

Tampere City Youth Services and Silta‑Valmennusyhdistys ry run the service together. It targets young people who are outside work, education or other services, or who need help finding suitable support. Young people can contact the service themselves, be referred by family members, or be referred by authorities under the Youth Act.

Staff provide individual guidance and run both open and closed groups, such as the rENTo group with Silta‑Valmennus. They aim to connect young people with appropriate services, not to replace them. Silta‑Valmennus’s ETTI outreach service focuses on young people who have interrupted their studies and on cooperation with educational institutions, while Tampere City Youth Services handles cases such as interrupted military or civilian service and other authority referrals. Coordinator Miia‑Mari Kivistö says the programme has shifted toward more community‑based work to boost participation, belonging and peer support.

The expansion builds on earlier initiatives. These include projects showcased during National Youth Work Week that showcased Tampere’s youth services, and planned pilot projects to reconnect young NEETs in Hervanta and northwest Tampere that Tampere has applied for state funding to support.