The Reality in Hungary

Moderator Gergely Katona (Baptist Diaconal Center, Social Notes) opened the discussion by presenting statistical data reflecting the current state of the sector. According to estimates, approximately 90,000 people work in the social welfare system in Hungary, but only 20% of them hold a college degree. Although official statistics show an average gross salary of around 582,000 Ft, workers tend to estimate it at around 400,000 Ft gross—due to the inconsistency of bonuses and other payments. Nationwide, there is a 20% labor shortage, which exceeds 40% in certain areas. Approximately 40% of those who earn a degree in this field do not find employment in the social sector even after graduation.

Resilience – more than flexibility

The central concept of the discussion was resilience. Dr. Szilvia Ádám (Semmelweis University) defined resilience as the ability that allows an individual or organization to recover—and even thrive—after a crisis. Erzsébet Kővári (Budapest Methodological Centre of Social Policy and Its Institutions) cited the COVID-19 pandemic, the refugee crisis, and the cost-of-living crisis as examples where effective communication and collaboration helped institutions. Dr. Zsófia Hídvégi (Hungarian Association of Supervisors and Supervisor-Coaches) emphasized from a neuroscientific perspective that humans are social beings, and thus connecting with others is an important means of calming the nervous system.

Why are colleagues leaving?

According to the experts, the reason for leaving the profession is not only salary, but working conditions, the lack of positive feedback and the workplace atmosphere. In 85–90% of supervision cases, the source of problems is not difficulties with clients, but collegial tensions and manager-subordinate relationships. The key to the solution lies in creating “psychological safety” – an environment where it is okay to make mistakes.

Supervision: not a luxury, but an essential in mental well-being

Supervision is an interprofessional reflective process that supports helpers’ mental well-being in four dimensions: me and my profession, me and my colleagues, me and my clients, and me and the system. The experts agreed that supervision should become part of professional socialisation. Erzsébet Kővári shared that at BMSZKI, centrally organised supervision has been available since 2020.

Good practices and personal strategies

Participants reported several forward-looking initiatives, including the BMSZKI and MOME collaboration, community psychiatry programmes, relaxation rooms for staff, and leadership training and resilience programmes. At the end of the discussion, the experts shared their own coping strategies: conscious self-care, grounding techniques, expanding reaction time, positive focus and supportive relationships all contribute to maintaining helpers’ mental balance.

The key takeaway of the roundtable discussion is that the sustainability of the helping professions requires “helping the helpers”. As we are taught on aeroplanes: we must put on our own oxygen mask first.

The podcast version of the Hunagrian discussion can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgOClhaLRyA 

The workshop is part of a research process supporting the evaluation of the Zachor Foundation’s Teacher Ambassador and Youth Ambassador Programs. The goal of the evaluation is to provide a comprehensive picture of the changes the program initiates in educational institutions, in teachers’ professional work, and in students’ learning processes. The Zachor Foundation’s Ambassador Program is supported by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

The Zachor Foundation’s Ambassador Program builds a community of educators and young people committed to Holocaust education who collaborate at the local, national, and international levels to strengthen authentic remembrance education. The program also contributes to the fight against antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and distortion, promoting education based on critical thinking and democratic values.

Using participatory methods, the participants collectively reflected on how the ambassador activities relate to the day-to-day operations of schools, what kinds of learning and community processes they foster, and in what areas the program’s short- and long-term impacts are evident. Teachers’ experiences are particularly valuable for the evaluation, as they are able to perceive institutional and pedagogical changes that are less visible to students.

The Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of youth mental health, presenting experiences from countries across the Danube Region while exploring opportunities to further strengthen mental health support systems.

The publication offers an in-depth analysis of the current situation and highlights the key challenges faced by adolescents and young adults, as well as the systems supporting them. Research shows that 50% of mental health conditions emerge before the age of 14, while 75% develop before the age of 24. The COVID-19 pandemic, digitalisation, economic uncertainty and broader social changes have further increased the pressures affecting younger generations, underlining the importance of strengthening prevention and early intervention.

The Handbook also examines the main challenges facing existing support systems, including shortages of mental health professionals, regional disparities in access to services, the stigma surrounding mental health, and the difficulties marginalised groups—such as early school leavers and young people from Roma communities—often face in accessing appropriate support. Alongside identifying these challenges, it presents practical recommendations, good practices and policy proposals aimed at improving mental health support systems for young people. 

Read the MEET Youth Mental Health Handbook.

The report’s most important finding is that, as a result of the significant salary increases in 2024–2025, the attractiveness of the teaching profession clearly improved in the short term. While the number of teachers actually declined between 2021 and 2023, a turnaround occurred after 2023: the number of teachers began to rise both in absolute terms and relative to the number of children.

The research highlights that the wage adjustment not only helped retain teachers in the profession but also encouraged those who had previously left to return. Based on questionnaire surveys, the proportion of returnees citing financial motivation rose from 5.7% to 23.6%.

Alongside these positive trends, experts note that professional satisfaction is complicated by several factors. Among educators and students, the most critical issues are the performance evaluation system (TÉR, which has since been suspended), heavy administrative burdens, and a lack of autonomy and social recognition. The report emphasizes that, in order to maintain the field’s appeal, it is necessary not only to maintain salary levels but also to address other structural issues.

The full evaluation report can be downloaded at the following link: https://www.palyazat.gov.hu/informacio/ertekelesek/szechenyi-terv-plusz-ertekelesei

One of the project’s key outcomes is the MindCraft game, which helps young people explore mental health-related topics in an interactive and engaging way. The game aims to bring the topic of mental well-being closer to young people, encourage self-reflection, and promote a more open and informed approach to mental health.

MindCraft was developed through the cooperation of project partners, taking into account the experiences and needs of young people across the Danube Region. The game is available in multiple languages, including the languages of all partner countries, English, and several Roma language versions, helping to ensure broad accessibility and inclusiveness.

The game is available here: https://www.meetmindcraft.eu/en

The international conference, entitled “From Ideas to Change: Mental Health Support for Young People”, showcased the results of more than two and a half years of cooperation within the project. Participants reflected on the project journey from identifying local needs to developing shared solutions. The presentations addressed key challenges related to youth mental health, highlighted the experiences of vulnerable groups, and presented the results of pilot activities implemented by project partners. The programme also provided an opportunity to explore the tools and methods developed within the project and to discuss how local experiences can contribute to broader policy development and systemic change.

On behalf of HETFA Research Institute, Luca Szöőr-Fülöp delivered a presentation entitled “From Local Practice to Danube Strategy”. The presentation focused on the results of the project’s pilot activities, the main lessons learned from the Local Action Plans, and the policy recommendations developed for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. It demonstrated how experiences gathered at the local level can be translated into policy proposals that support the long-term promotion of young people’s mental well-being. The presentation also highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation and the role of locally tested solutions in shaping regional and international policy responses.

The HÉTFA Research Institute is organising a Hungarian event within the framework of the CARES (Caregivers Advancing Regulatory Environment and Skills) project, providing a space for professional dialogue on the challenges facing the social care sector. The event will bring together researchers, practitioners, and sector experts to exchange experiences and discuss possible solutions to some of the most pressing issues affecting the profession today.

Following the presentation of the research findings, a roundtable discussion entitled „The Cost of Caring: Workforce Shortages, Burnout and Resilience in the Hungarian Care Sector” will bring together experts from academia, professional organisations, trade unions, and social service providers to reflect on some of the most pressing challenges facing the sector. The discussion will be moderated by Gergely Katona (Baptist Diaconal Centre). Panel participants include Ágnes Dr Győri (ELTE TK), Szilvia Dr Ádám (Semmelweis University), Zsófia Dr Hídvégi (Hungarian Association of Supervisors and Supervisor-Coaches), and Erzsébet Kővári (Budapest Methodological Social Centre and Institutions).

Date: 24 June 2026, 14:00-16:00

Venue: Empathy Community Space, Arany János utca 31, 1051 Budapest, Hungary

Participation is free of charge, but prior registration is required.

Registration link:
https://forms.gle/eTgzkP3wsSuzbwrZA

An audio recording of the discussion will be made available publicly after the event.

The CARES project is funded by Erasmus+ and co-funded by the European Union.

The Hungarian invitation to the event and the detailed agenda is attached below: Hungarian Invitation

One of the key objectives of the CARES project is to support professionals working in the care sector, promote their mental well-being, and contribute to the development of more sustainable and attractive working environments. Through training programmes, self-learning resources, mentoring opportunities, and capacity-building activities, the project seeks to strengthen the skills and resilience of care workers while helping them address the challenges they encounter in their daily work.

The first Online Policy Lab organised within the CARES project highlighted that many European countries face similar challenges. Participants identified workforce retention, burnout prevention, professional recognition, and continuous skills development as main priorities for ensuring the long-term sustainability and quality of social care services.

Building on these discussions, the CARES project will host its second Online Policy Lab on 17 June 2026. This event will focus on sharing practical solutions and showcasing project results. Participants will be introduced to the CARES Online Training Platform and its training modules, while representatives of European organisations working in the social sector will present good practices that support the well-being of care professionals and contribute to a more sustainable care workforce. 

The event aims not only to present the project outputs but also to create a space for exchange and mutual thinking. Speakers and participants from different countries will have the opportunity to discuss innovative approaches, successful initiatives, and practical experiences to strengthen the support systems for care workers across Europe.

Participation in the event is free, but prior registration is required. 

Date: 17 June 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 14:00-15:30 (CET)
Format: Online (Zoom)
Language: English

You can register via the link below:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WDdnfBrHRjWLj6bi9jKE4Q

The detailed programme and information about the guest speakers are available in the event invitation: Invitation for the 2nd Online Policy Lab.

The partner meeting provided an excellent opportunity for the consortium to jointly review the progress achieved so far in the project and to coordinate the tasks for the second phase. Discussions focused on the finalisation of the online training modules, the further development of the online platform, and knowledge-sharing and dissemination activities.

Within the activities led by HÉTFA, two online international policy labs are organised on European challenges affecting the social and care sectors, as well as a national multiplier event. The first online international policy lab took place on 13 May 2026; you can read our previous article on the event. The next online international policy event will be held on 17 June 2026, with further information to be shared soon.

The project’s multiplier events will be organised in all partner countries – Lithuania, Italy, Romania and Hungary. The Hungarian event will take place on 23 June 2026. Its aim is to present the project and share the results and lessons learned with professionals in the social and care sectors through a presentation and roundtable discussion.

The latest updates on our upcoming events will be published on our website, and on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Over the course of the project, the international partnership developed a framework and a set of training materials that combine the skills needed to assess science-related information with critical thinking, media and information literacy, and competences related to active participation in society. The materials were further refined through a series of pilot training programmes involving student teachers, practising educators and teacher educators in Spain, Germany, Austria, Greece and Hungary.

Coordinated by the University of Innsbruck, the project brought together the following partners: 

• EduNet Europe
• Eugenides Foundation
• FaktaBaari
• HÉTFA Research Institute and Center for Economic and Social Analysis
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
• Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet)
• Palacký University Olomouc
• University of Nicosia
• University of Santiago de Compostela

As a project partner, HÉTFA Research Institute was primarily responsible for evaluating the training programmes. Drawing on participants’ experiences from the different training activities, the HÉTFA team examined how well the SciLMi framework and methodology supported educators in developing the competences targeted by the project, while also identifying areas for the further improvement of the training programmes. The evaluation activities thus provided valuable input for strengthening the practical relevance and applicability of the project results.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.