This competence framework describes the AI literacy of youth workers and the key competence areas required in the age of artificial intelligence. The rapid advancement of AI has transformed young people’s daily lives, learning, and modes of participation, leading to a significant shift in the operational environment of youth work. The goal of the competence framework is to make visible the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required in youth work to ensure that AI is used purposefully, ethically, and in a way that promotes young people’s well-being.
The competence framework structures AI literacy across ten distinct competence areas, which can be used to describe both an individual worker’s competence and an organization’s capability to utilize AI responsibly.
The competence framework is based on the understanding of AI literacy as a comprehensive capability to understand how AI functions, evaluate its impacts, and use it responsibly in various situations. It draws on the EU’s DigComp framework and the Ministry of Education and Culture’s framework for citizens’ AI competence—where digital competence is defined as a combination of knowledge, skills, and attitudes—as well as its principles of critical thinking, safety, communication, and responsible agency. At the same time, the competence framework complements these general frameworks within the specific context of youth work.
- Nobody is expected to master AI naturally, and everyone can build their skills at their own pace.
- Maintaining sufficient AI literacy isn’t up to individual employees—it’s the employer’s responsibility.
- Employers should reserve enough resources for employee training and provide quality learning content.
- The workplace encourages, supports, and helps employees adopt tools safely.
- AI isn’t used just for the sake of it; instead, the team develops ways of working where AI adds real value and makes daily tasks smoother. At the same time, employees’ AI skills and readiness are maintained consistently.
Competence |
Level 1: Understanding and Ethical Use |
Level 2: Applying AI to Guidance and Youth Work |
Level 3: Organizational Development |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Understanding the Basics of AI | Understands AI principles, limitations, and impacts on young people’s daily lives | Guides young people to understand algorithms, social media filter bubbles, and the impacts of AI on daily life | Promotes the organization’s shared understanding of AI and its role in services |
| 2. Critical Thinking and Media Literacy | Critically evaluates AI-generated information, verifies sources | Teaches young people to identify mis- and disinformation and their impacts on society and individual opinions | Builds media education practices and operating models within the organization |
| 3. Communication and Interaction | Uses AI responsibly in communication and marks its use in accordance with EU codes of practice | Uses AI transparently in guidance and explains its role to young people | Develops organizational guidelines for AI communication and transparency |
| 4. Content Creation and Creative Use | Produces content ethically (copyrights, transparency, fact-checking) | Guides young people toward responsible AI use and identifies AI opportunities to support creativity | Develops new AI-based methods and services |
| 5. Safety, Data Protection, and Rights | Anonymizes all data, complies with GDPR, and collects only data essential for the task | Teaches young people to protect their data, pay attention to shared data, and understand their rights | Participates in developing the organization’s data protection practices and risk management for AI use |
| 6. Well-being and Ethics | Identifies the impacts and risks of AI on young people’s well-being and acts in a human-centered manner | Discusses the impacts of AI on identity, well-being, and inclusion with young people, acting preventatively to minimize harm | Develops ethical principles and supports practices that promote well-being |
| 7. Problem-solving and Discretion | Evaluates when it is worthwhile to use AI (benefits vs. harms) | Uses AI purposefully as part of guidance processes | Develops processes where AI strategically supports operations |
| 8. Equality and Accessibility | Understands that AI is always biased and recognizes its impacts on inequality | Utilizes AI to improve accessibility (language, learning) | Develops services that promote equality using AI |
| 9. Active participation and Inclusion | Understands the role of AI in young people’s lives, media, and education | Strengthens young people’s agencyactive participation as AI users and influencers | Enables young people to participate in the development of services and AI |
| 10. Development and Continuous Learning | Continuously updates their own AI skills | Shares knowledge with young people, maintains dialogue on the topic, and develops new guidance methods | Builds a culture of continuous learning and development within the organization |
Developing AI Literacy together at work
A five-step process that takes teams from basic AI understanding towards concrete action and continuous learning
PHASE 1: Building a shared understanding
The process starts with building a shared understanding, where the team explores why AI literacy matters, how AI affects young people and youth work, and what possibilities and risks it brings.
PHASE 02: Current State Assessment
Next comes the current state assessment, where staff reflect on their own skills for example through self-assessments, questionnaires or group chats to pinpoint strengths and key focus areas.
PHASE 03: Joint Analysis
In the joint analysis phase, everyone’s feedback is combined to see where the team shines, what training is needed, and which new practices to adopt.
PHASE 04: Action Planning
Moving on to action planning, the team agrees on concrete next steps like training, shared ground rules, pilot projects, and clear roles.
PHASE 05: Monitoring & Evaluation
Finally, through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, the team regularly checks progress and adjusts plans whenever needed.
Download AI literacy self-assessment tools as A4-sized PDFs
Material produced by: The Finnish Society on Media Education / Petteri Ruotsalainen & The City of Helsinki / Panu Räsänen.
Graphics: Petteri Ruotsalainen
Year of publication: 2026
The materials were produced as part of the AI Skills for Youth Work Practices project (Tekoälytaidot nuorisotyön käytänteisiin), funded by the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI).
This material by the Finnish Society on Media Education is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
