The National Youth Agency - Becoming Qualified

Becoming Qualified

There are nationally recognised qualifications in youth work, and most posts require postholders to hold, or to be working towards, one of these qualifications. These are National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs) and a range of Higher Education qualifications. In addition, employers should provide a range of training and learning opportunities to promote their staff’s continuing professional development.

Also of interest...

Qualifications in youth work

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 Qualifications (pre-professional/vocational qualifications) and the Professional Qualifications, see further information and frequently asked questions by clicking the linking pages.

The NYA provides a list of universities offering higher education youth work qualifications on its website under the Professional Qualifications section. Contact your local authority for information about youth work opportunities in the local area, including voluntary organisations and voluntary work, and training in youth support work. The NYA can provide contacts for local authority youth services.
See Local Authority Contacts >>

Professional recognition of formal youth work qualifications

Professional (higher education) qualifications are recognised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as long as the programme of study has been professionally validated by The NYA, ETS Wales or the Joint ETS for Northern Ireland and Ireland. Different arrangements for professional training and qualiﬁcation apply in Scotland.

In addition, The National Youth Agency endorses Youth Support Worker qualifications to ensure quality assurance procedures and minimum standards of provision are in place.

Qualifications, pay and level of post

The NYA undertakes professional validation of national awards in youth work on behalf of the Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth and Community Workers (JNC). The JNC sets out conditions for pay and responsibilities of different levels of post, to which all employers should adhere. It operates a single spine for all professional youth workers and youth support workers who are entitled to work at different points on this spine – with different levels of responsibility and salary – depending on the qualiﬁcations they hold.

Youth support workers with NVQs and VRQs at Levels 2 and 3 will normally work in posts with a starting salary of c£15,000. Professional youth worker posts command a starting salary of c£22,000, and for posts with more responsibility from £27,000 to £34,000. Salaries for local authority youth service managers vary widely according to the size of the authority and the responsibilities of the post, but are normally upward of £35,000.

Other qualifications and youth work

There are a small number of other qualiﬁcations, which confer qualiﬁed youth worker status. People who gained the status of qualiﬁed teacher by 31 December 1988 are recognised as qualiﬁed to hold professional youth work posts. Those who gained a social science degree between 1974 and 1981 will be recognised as qualiﬁed subject to supervision and satisfactory performance in the work place for a period of one year.

The NYA operates a scheme in conjunction with ETS Wales and the joint ETS for Northern Ireland and Ireland for holders of qualiﬁcations obtained in institutions outside the UK. This offers professional recognition of qualiﬁcations which are equivalent to, or greater than the Dip HE and foundation degree awards in the UK. Contact The NYA for more information.

Previous systems

The systems for youth work training have recently changed, and terms relating to the previous systems are still often used, particularly descriptions of youth workers as being ‘locally’ or ‘nationally’ qualiﬁed.

NVQ/VRQs at Levels 2 and 3 replaced the RAMPs training and awards system, which provided locally devised and assessed initial or basic training programmes for people entering youth work. RAMP qualiﬁcations were associated with the terms ‘locally’ or ‘part-time’ qualiﬁed. They are still valid for work as a youth support worker. The terms ‘nationally’ and ‘professionally’ qualiﬁed are associated with the higher education qualiﬁcations.

However, the terms ‘local’, ‘part-time’, and ‘national’ are now outdated and confusing because of the development of the new NVQ/VRQ system of qualiﬁcations, which are recognised and transferable nationally. As a result the terms youth support worker and professional youth worker are now more commonly used.

Associated training

All Connexions Advisers are required to take specific training, even if they have a background in youth work, careers or teaching. All Personal Advisers are required to take the Understanding Connexions course, the first module of the Personal Advisers' Diploma. Those who work with the hardest to help young people with multiple problems are required to complete the full PA diploma. This training combines direct work with young people with a broad-based training programme reflecting the multi-disciplinary approach underpinning Connexions. Other types of course which could lead to work with young people in informal settings include outdoor education qualifications, counselling and community arts. See below for information about training in related occupational sectors such as social work and playwork.

Criminal records

All youth workers must be prepared to give information about any criminal record they might have, even if it might normally be considered 'spent'. The Criminal Records Bureau will, on request from employers, check the records of anyone applying to work with children and young people, whether on a paid or voluntary basis. But having a record does not mean automatic disqualification, indeed some of the best youth workers have a chequered past, and they draw on their experiences and what they have learnt from them in their work. Employers using the CRB are required to have a policy about employing ex-offenders, taking into account factors such as the nature of the offence and how long ago it was committed. Further information is available from the CRB on http://www.disclosure.gov.uk/

Career prospects

Youth work skills are in great demand, and opportunities for qualified youth workers are expanding. In addition to employment within local authority youth services, the opportunities for employment in other sectors have increased hugely over the past few years. Youth workers are found working in other local authority departments such as leisure, arts and housing, health authorities, youth justice teams, and a range of voluntary organisations. A look at job advertisements in Children and Young People Now magazine frequently involve details of vacancies in generic youth work, Connexions, sports development, youth action, drugs projects, youth offending teams, social services, health work and community development.

Greater attention is also being paid to the progression of more experienced staff. Local authority youth services, Connexions partnerships and other services for young people all offer opportunities to move into management or into more specialised posts, and a range of training programmes are now available to enhance the management skills of both new and experienced managers.

Further information

More information about youth work and youth services, and the NYA's role in supporting and improving work with young people, is available on its website at: http://www.nya.org.uk/

For information on youth work and youth work training in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland contact:

YouthLink Scotland, Rosebery House, 9 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5EZ.
Tel: 0131 313 2488; Fax: 0131 313 6800
E-mail: info@youthlink.co.uk
Website: http://www.youthlink.co.uk/.

Youth Work Policy Branch at the Welsh Assemby Government, c/o ELWa South East Wales, Ground Floor, Ty’r Afon, Bedwas Road, Bedwas, Caerphilly, CF83 8WT.
Tel 01443 663814.
E-mail: liz.rose@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Youth Council for Northern Ireland, Forestview, Purdey's Lane, Belfast BT8 4TA. Tel: 02890 643882; Fax: 02890 643874
E-mail: dguilfoyle@youthcouncil-ni.org.uk;
Website: http://www.youthcouncil-ni.org.uk/

Lifelong Learning UK, 5^th Floor, St Andrew’s House, 18-20 St Andrew’s Street, London, EC4A 3AY.
Tel: 0870 757 7890. Fax: 0870 757 7889.
Helpline: 020 7936 5798.
E-mail: enquiries@lifelonglearninguk.org.
LLUK is the Sector Skills Council for youth work and other informal education occupations and sets the standards for training in this sector.

Other related areas of work with different qualifications and career structures include play, social work and teaching.

For information on social work: The General Social Care Council, Goldings House, 2 Hay's Lane, London SE1 2HB. Tel: 020 7397 5100.
E-mail: info@gscc.org.uk.
Website: http://www.gscc.org.uk/.

For information on teaching: Teacher Training agency enquiry line: Tel: 0845 6000 991. Minicom: 01245 454 343.
E-mail: teaching@ttainfo.co.uk.
Website: http://www.canteach.gov.uk/index.html

For information on sport, recreation and play: SPRITO, 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD.
Tel: 020 7388 7755.
Website: http://www.playwork.org.uk/

Information on careers in play and childcare is available at http://www.childcarecareers.gov.uk/

Download the NYA Guide to Youth Work and Youth Services in full >>