A: This does not undermine your degree at all - you will still have a BA Hons. What it does do is weaken the professional framework for youth workers in the UK. By ceasing to offer youth work and youth-related qualifications at higher education level, your university has joined a line of unimaginative agencies that don't seem to believe in young people and that's sad and disappointing.
Youth workers have suffered from working in an undervalued field, an ill-articulated profession, and a society that refuses to acknowledge young people's needs and the skills of those who support them.
We need to redefine youth work and create a basic role that's more acceptable to higher education, linking with international academic thinking that sees youth work as being about engaging society, community development and even social pedagogy.
Tracie Trimmer-Platman is senior lecturer in youth and community work at the University of East London
Email questions, marked "Experts", to cypnow@markallengroup.com
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