The purpose of this report is to evaluate the quality of youth work training and the appropriateness of the training to provide youth workers with the skills they need to fulfil their role and meet the demands of modern youth work in all its forms.
Recommendations
The Welsh Government should:
- R1 Continue to work with all partners in the youth work sector to support the development of youth work and youth work training, including leadership capacity
- R2 Continue to work with the EWC and ETS to update and improve the registration arrangements for youth workers to ensure that youth work is treated in the same way as other education professions
- R3 Commission a full skills audit for the sector, to include skills needed by employers and the existing skills of both youth workers and youth support workers registered with the EWC and those who carry out youth work and are not registered
- R4 Investigate the provision of formal apprenticeship routes for the training of youth workers and youth support workers
- R5 Work with the providers of youth work training and other relevant organisations to increase the use of the Welsh language in youth work training.
Providers of youth work training should:
- R6 Make sure that youth workers and students from other professions working with young people have opportunities to train together
- R7 Improve the availability, variety and quality of work placements
Local authorities should:
- R8 Encourage schools to recognise the specialist skills and professional knowledge youth workers bring to supporting the development of the new curriculum
- R9 Support and contribute to the development of courses for the training of statutory and voluntary youth workers, including those in non-education settings
Regional consortia should:
- R10 Explore ways to include youth workers alongside teachers in professional learning and educational leadership training opportunities