Abstract:

The aim of the article is to reveal the role of informal education in the vocational training for youth workers in the context of Bulgarian and European experience. Informal education is related to the development of the intellect, culture, personal qualities and capabilities of the individual. They are important primarily for personal realization, both in the profession and in life. The question of formal (parallel, informal) education is raised for the first time in the 1970s with the development of the mass media. They are becoming an important source of information and knowledge in one way or another affect the formation of beliefs and values, depending on the intelligence and culture of individual personalities. This education is not externally organized, it has no formal structure, and it finds a place in everyday life and work. Most authors, who studied vocational training for youth workers through informal education, find it is unregulated by laws, rules or regulations. It is implemented both in institutionalized schools and independently. Informal education covers everyone age groups. The content, forms, methods, educational technologies are defined in a dialogue between the trainer and the learner.

Methodology:
The study uses common methods of scientific knowledge, namely: theoretical analysis (primary and secondary), synthesis, comparison, summarization of studies, concepts and solutions related to the planned study; content analysis of international and national programs and documents regulating the vocational training of youth workers and the opportunities for using informal education; content analysis based on the empirical data base, collected from work on European projects. A wealth of information has been used on the theory and practice of vocational education for youth workers; The results of sociological surveys have been reported, significant official documents at national and European level have been presented and analysed as editions of the Council of Europe and European institutions, on the basis of which the topic of the article was developed.

Results:
• Global analysis and evaluation of vocational training of youth workers in Bulgaria in the context of the European experience.
• Identification of changes in vocational training of youth workers, participants in projects and other forms of work in the field of informal education.
• Outline perspectives for the development of vocational training of youth workers in Bulgaria in the context of the current state of this research area in leading European countries.

Keywords:

Vocational training, youth workers.