Fall in youth work students raises debate over future of qualifications

Youth work qualifications are currently offered by 40 universities and higher education colleges across England, but the upcoming rise in tuition fees and the uncertainties of securing a job are threatening to deter prospective students.

Enrolments had already begun to fall, by 11.3 per cent between 2008/09 and 2009/10 (from 3,367 to 2,988), according to data from the National Youth Agency. Figures for 2010/11, due to be published this summer, are expected to see the downward trend continue.

Furthermore, pressure on local authority budgets has led to a reduction in the amount of money allocated to sponsor people to undertake the courses – historically constituting the largest proportion of the total cohort.  

Richard Davies, a member of the secretariat for TAG, the Professional Association for Lecturers in Youth and Community Work, says initial results from a survey of members show that 45 per cent are worried about reaching target levels of enrolments this year.

"There are some members saying issues around funding and student fees are putting students off, particularly where the student has a choice of courses," he says.

"Maybe choosing to apply for social work or teaching seems to be a better route for them as they could be eligible for bursaries. There is also a concern that the media image of youth work is that it is a dying profession."

TAG wants the government to support both initial training and continuing professional development and give greater clarity on the future direction of youth work.

But David Wright, chief executive of the Confederation of Heads of Young People’s Services, says courses must adapt to offer relevant content for the changing environment.

This could involve preparing young people with skills suitable for the voluntary sector rather than a local authority, as the balance of service delivery shifts increasingly away from councils.

"Young people aren’t going away and demand for youth work isn’t going to go away," Wright says. "We need to think about how that supply is going to be changing over the next few years."

He adds that the content of youth work courses needs to be "future-proofed" so that newly qualified staff are equipped with the skills to work in targeted as well as universal services.

The government’s Positive for Youth policy paper makes no mention of degree-level courses. But the development of an Institute for Youth Work has the potential to address the problem, according to Diane Evans, national programme manager at the National Youth Agency.

The NYA is leading work to explore the potential for an institute on behalf of the Catalyst consortium and, according to Evans, consultation feedback has already revealed a desire for an institution that promotes professional qualifications.

"A good number of individual practitioners came forward saying there is space for them to be part of something about professional standards and the quality of youth work practice."

According to Evans, the picture for professional youth work qualifications is not as bleak as some fear. "There is never enough government policy on workforce development – it is often overlooked, but there is enough in Positive for Youth," Evans says.

"It articulates that a good qualified core of professional practitioners will underpin good professional practice in the future. It won’t go much further in making assertions on numbers and development because there isn’t any money behind it.

"It’s a worrying time and we may see a slowing down of qualified practitioners, but the sector will stabilise for a while, get its own resources and start to grow again."