The National Youth Agency - Youth Work Training

Youth Work Training

Youth work helps young people learn about themselves, others and society, through informal educational activities which combine enjoyment, challenge and learning.

Youth workers work primarily with young people aged between 13 and 19, but may in some cases extend this to those aged 11 to 13 and 19 to 25. Their work seeks to promote young people’s personal and social development and enable them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities and society as a whole.

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Youth work reaches so many young people because it is delivered through a wide range of different organisations and in a variety of different settings. Alongside local authority provision there are many voluntary organisations and groups operating at national, regional and very local levels. These range from uniformed and faith-based groups to community and interest focused groups.

Local authorities, of which there are some 150 in England, are responsible for ensuring that youth work is provided in their area. Increasingly this is managed through a Children and Young People’s Service, or its equivalent, working in partnership with a complex network of other youth work providers, community groups and voluntary organisations.

For further information on youth work and youth services read the following Guide which is available to download free of charge:

NYA Guide to Youth Work and Youth Services >>

Becoming Qualified

Being a youth worker is challenging and stimulating whilst being enjoyable and rewarding. Youth work today takes place in many different settings and reaches many different young people.

You can begin working with young people without qualification only if you commit yourself to a programme of training to achieve a qualification. There are formal, nationally recognised qualifications in youth work, and for most posts you would normally be expected to be working towards one of these if you do not already hold a qualification.

There are two types of qualification within the nationally recognised framework approved by the Joint Negotiating Committee for youth and community workers which is the body that sets and guides national pay and conditions for youth and community workers. These qualifications are - Youth Support Worker (pre-professional/vocational qualifications) and Professional Qualifications, see further information and frequently asked questions by clicking the linking pages.

There is also a list of frequently asked questions about youth work training, see the youth work training FAQs.

All qualifications are based on national occupational standards for youth work, currently being redeveloped by Lifelong Learning UK, the sector skills council for the professional development of all those working in community learning and development – see the Lifelong Learning website for further information.

In addition to those detailed here, many voluntary groups have specific training programmes related to their work - information about these will be available directly from the organisation.

Find out more about Becoming Qualified >>

Understanding Qualifications in Youth Work

The NYA has produced a document that looks at the different qualifications currently recognised within youth work. It explores how they fit within the National Qualifications Frameworks, describing the different levels of achievement expected for each type of qualification. Further, it will help youth workers and employers understand youth work qualifications in relation to others professional and pre-professional qualifications within the children's workforce.

Read the document in full:

Qualification Reform

In response to the recommendation in Every Child Matters for a Workforce Strategy applicable to all sectors involved in working with children and young people the government produced a consultation paper in April 2005. This paper highlighted four main strategic challenges:

to recruit more highly qualified staff into the children's workforce
to retain people within the workforce by providing improved career development and progression opportunities
to strengthen the structure within which agencies and organisations within the children's workforce work together
to promote stronger and more consistent leadership and management.

As a result, the world of training and qualification is undergoing a considerable amount of change, underpinned by reforms to qualification frameworks. Alongside this is the development of an integrated qualifications framework for all roles working in the children, young people and families workforce - including youth work.

Whilst work is ongoing and real changes will start to take effect from 2008, there is early and emerging information available now. The link below is to a briefing containing further introductory information and web-links where you can find out more.

Qualificaitons Reform briefing - May 2007

Quality of Youth Work Training

The National Youth Agency works to ensure the quality and development of youth work training at all levels. We achieve this through validation and annual monitoring of professional qualifications and endorsement of youth support worker qualifications. Our Education and Training Standards (ETS) Committee undertake this work. If you would like information on he NYA's Requirements for Professional Validation of HE Programmes and Endorsement of Youth Support Worker Qualifications, a list of the course available in England, or a copy of the latest annual monitoring report visit the Professional Validation page.

Further information on the work of the ETS is available on the Education and Training Standards Committee page.

Similar arrangements exist in Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. See Professional Validation in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland for further information.