All young people deserve a productive, fulfilling future. Society needs the spark and energy of young people to make it tick, yet somehow thousands of young people feel blocked by the complex, sometimes disheartening challenges the modern world throws at them.

Youth work is the best methodology to unlock young people’s potential by providing high quality support and opportunities.  Skilled youth workers build relationships that support young people to explore their personal, social, and educational development.  Youth work enables young people to develop their voice, influence, and place within society.

NYA is the national body for youth work, and the Professional Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB) for youth work in England.  We have been transforming lives through youth work for over 50 years. By championing, professionalising, and enabling youth work, we strive to find better, more inventive ways to empower more young people.

Our mission is to transform the lives of young people in England and beyond through the power of youth work.

Our vision is to support one million young people through our work

What we do

We have a steadfast belief in young people and their potential to shape the world, no matter what society puts in their way. NYA is dedicated to:

1. Championing youth work in all its many forms –showcasing great practice, incubating new approaches, celebrating its many thousands of practitioners and winning more understanding of the value and depth of the discipline among policy-makers, educators and employers.

2. Professionalising youth work –training youth workers, setting occupational standards, offering accreditation for professional development, and constantly researching, innovating and improving the methodologies and practice of youth work in all its forms

3. Enabling youth work –making it happen through our networks of front-line youth work providers, our deep experience of managing complex projects and through innovative tie-ups and funding arrangements with imaginative commercial and public sector partners.

NYA holds a unique position within the youth sector, offering guidance, support, advice, training, and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations.  We deliver training both face-to-face and through our online learning Academy. Our team of Youth Work Specialists are experienced youth workers and teaching staff and are well placed to support professional development of staff teams and individuals.

As the PSRB we are responsible for quality assurance and compliance for all Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) recognised programmes in the country through the Education Training Standards committee, and more widely in the UK through JETS. This includes quality assurance and compliance on youth work programmes from Level 2 – 6.

Our People

History of NYA

NYA Strategy

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