Estonian agency turns to TikTok and Roblox in bid to support troubled youth

Estonia's Education and Youth Board (Harno) is launching a major online youth work initiative to connect with vulnerable young people who are outside education and the labor market. The agency has announced plans to spend €956,700 on a service that will use digital channels to reach individuals aged 15 to 26 who are either not studying, not working, or at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). The goal is to help these young people return to education or find employment.

Although youth workers already operate in many regions, along with mobile services and the Youth Guarantee system, Harno acknowledges that a significant number of young people in need remain unreached. These individuals often avoid traditional outreach methods—they do not attend events, hang out in public spaces, or respond to calls from social workers. However, they are active in digital environments such as social media, online games, forums, and other platforms.

To address this, Harno is seeking a partner to maintain a visible presence on platforms popular among young people, including Discord, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and gaming environments like Steam, Minecraft, and Roblox. According to Olav Kersen, Harno's chief expert on youth outside education and employment, there is no complex identification process—a young person in need is one who expresses it themselves, for example by saying they skip school or work informally. Young people can remain anonymous if they wish.

The service will be delivered exclusively through digital channels, allowing online youth workers to engage with young people from different parts of Estonia simultaneously. Workers must be familiar with regional support networks to refer young people to local services. This approach has been piloted on a small scale in a few regions, such as Tartu, which employs a digital youth worker.

The project aims to reach 2,500 young people within two years, with a primary focus on those aged 15–17 who have only basic education and lack vocational or upper secondary qualifications. Of those reached, 65% are expected to be in a better situation six months after completing the program. The selected partner will assemble a team to build visibility and proactively reach out. Activities will be documented, and pseudonymized data will be collected. Harno estimates that nearly 20,000 young people aged 15–26 in Estonia currently need or will soon need support to continue their education or enter the workforce.