Volunteers are the lifeblood of youth work. The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) estimates there are about 500,000 volunteers working with young people in the UK. All employers require volunteers to undergo some form of training. This is generally delivered in-house and can be important in giving confidence to new workers. Some volunteers are happy to stick to doing their allocated hours a week and may be reluctant to undertake training, but good employers are increasingly finding creative ways to include training as part of a volunteer's hours.
But Nichola Brown, workforce development officer for NCVYS, is keen to stress that youth workers don't need a formal qualification to work with young people. "When volunteers hear talk about degrees and licensing they can get put off," she says. "There is no need for a licence or degree if you want to work with young people."
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