He said the move would “bolster the professional standing of youth work to give funders, young people and their parents the ability to know who is a qualified practitioner”.
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Analysis: Leaders call for clearer vision of youth work duties
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Analysis: Youth policy and funding review
The creation of a register has been a call from within the youth sector for several years.
Two years ago a report by the all-party parliamentary group on youth affairs highlighted the need for a register to “support both professional development and a probationary period”, similar to the newly qualified status in the teaching profession.
The National Youth Agency (NYA), alongside the Institute of Youth Work, the Regional Youth Work Units, the Local Government Association and UK Youth have long called for the creation of a register, and have established a steering group to oversee the development of a register.
Huddleston made the commitment to create a register during a speech at the NYA’s Youth Work Summit, which took place as part of Youth Work Week.
🎉It’s Youth Work Week 2021! 🎉
— NYA (@natyouthagency) November 1, 2021
The theme this year is Champions of Youth Work and we have a whole suite of sessions and activities to take part in!
Visit our Youth Work Week page to find out more:#YWW21 #YouthWorkWeekhttps://t.co/9XOFBsmW7G pic.twitter.com/hQo7iCpsBH
“The government is committed to supporting youth workers to develop the skills they need to best support all young people,” said Huddleston, who took over the role from Baroness Barran when she moved from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to the Department for Education at the recent reshuffle.
He also said that the government is looking to back NYA’s work around creating a curriculum and workforce strategy and boosting online learning for youth workers.
Abbee McLatchie, NYA director of youth work, said: “After a long journey, we welcome the support from the DCMS with some initial funding to begin development of a Youth Work Register.
"We will work with the DCMS and our Register Steering Group partners to scope, shape and explore the parameters of this in the coming weeks, including robust safeguarding measures.
"Whilst this register will not confer a Licence to Practice, it will when fully formed give us far greater understanding of who is currently involved in the youth workforce from volunteers to degree qualified professionals. This will allow us to understand how best to continue to grow and support the workforce for the future.”
Huddleston has one of the widest ministerial remits in government, overseeing policy on tourism, charities, youth and sport.
He added that “there is a huge potential to embed youth across my wider portfolio, from growing the role of volunteering to creating a greater join-up between youth and sport” as well as in the arts and the digital sector.
