New step on career ladder for youth workers

The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has been consulting with the youth workforce on the introduction of a youth professional status, which will be a new career step for graduate level youth workers.

With 57 per cent of respondents supporting the introduction of the status, the council has announced it will be working with key professionals to introduce it early next year.

To gain the status workers will have to hold a degree, hold a recognised professional qualification in a specialism within the youth workforce, be supported by their employer to complete the assessment process and have experience as a leader in the field.

The consultation also asked youth workers about introducing a skills development framework, which defines what professionals need to work with each other and young people as part of integrated youth support services.

More than nine in ten respondents agreed with the proposal with the majority supporting a model where specialist skills development would remain, but where professionals can progress into a range of management and leadership functions across integrated services.

Deidre Quill, director of workforce reform at CWDC, said: "The workforce has told us that a Skills Development Framework is needed to help deliver integrated services to young people. 

"Our ambition is to have this framework in place by January 2010. Youth professional status will help to strengthen integrated working across the workforce and provide better outcomes for young people."

The Community and Youth Workers' Union (CYWU), part of Unite, has criticised plans for a Skills Development Framework saying it would "dilute" specialisms and lead to a "set of weakened generic qualifications".