The Youth Steps project has just completed a three-year pilot, which placed young people who wanted to become youth workers on a three-month training course. The training is designed for young people who have had problems such as educational underachievement, unemployment or a criminal past.
The pilot saw 90 people aged between 17 and 25 from across England undertake the course, which involved a week-long residential to introduce them to youth work. The course also taught them about key policies, such as Every Child Matters.
The students had to compile portfolios during the training programme, which were then assessed. The young people who passed received a level 1 certificate in an introduction to youth work from the Awarding Bodies Consortium.
The programme is jointly run by The Prince's Trust, The National Youth Agency, Wiltshire Youth Development Service and YMCA England.
Peter Lister, head of strategic partnerships at The Prince's Trust, said the project was now being evaluated with a view to introducing it more widely across England, after receiving £380,000 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
"Because the residential is in Cheshire, which is a central location, we can train young people from a range of areas," he said. "They can take part and then do work placements in their own communities."
He said further pilots were also now taking place in Scotland and Northern Ireland but the DCSF money meant the charity could train more young people in England. "We hope to expand the project to 200 people over the next three years but we aspire to do more than that," Lister said. "As more organisations see its benefit we will be able to expand it on a grand scale."
Last week The Prince's Trust held a ceremony for the young people who completed the pilot.
For more information contact peter.lister@princes-trust.org.uk
