Symposium looks to ‘exploring outcomes in youth work and related provision’
Minister says:
policy-makers have been too slow to recognise the untapped capacity in the youth work sector to improve young people lives;NEET’s (not in employment, education, or training) must receive a greater policy focus in Ireland.Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children & Youth Affairs has today said that quality youth work services should play a more central role in responding to the challenges of youth unemployment and marginalisation
The Minister was giving the closing address to a Symposium on ‘exploring outcomes in youth work and related provision’ which took place in Dublin Castle, hosted by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The Symposium was attended by over 180 youth work practitioners, policy makers and researchers in Ireland.
The Minister told the Symposium that there is a need for youth services to adopt a more targeted approach to supporting the employability and work-readiness of those not currently in the employment, education, or training (the so-called NEETs), a cohort who are subject of significant policy focus in the UK and Europe.
The Minister also spoke of the potential of youth work to respond to the serious challenges facing marginalised and at-risk young people as identified in the recent report of the Independent Child Death Review Group.
The Minister stated: "Having visited youth work services right across this country, I am continually impressed the fantastic and innovative range of programmes and projects being delivered for young people. However I am equally convinced that there remains much untapped capacity in the youth work sector when it comes to seeking to improve young people’s lives. Youth workers have known for this years, but policy-makers have been too slow to recognise the potential benefit on offer from quality youth work.
"Today’s Symposium considered the importance of adopting a quality-focussed and evidence-based approach to youth work. It is in this context that I would like to support the youth work sector to respond to some of the big issues currently affecting Irish young people.
"Ireland has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Europe. We also have one of the highest rates of young people not in education, employment or training. This cohort, the so-called NEET’s, must receive a greater policy focus in Ireland. I believe youth work has the tools to help this group, in particular through the provision of a valuable outreach and intervention services and through providing youth work- based programmes focussed on improving their skill-sets and employment readiness.
"Last month I published the report of the Independent Child Death Review Group. This report highlighted, in stark terms, the challenges faced by marginalised and at-risk young people. I would like to see youth work services being in a stronger position to support both our child protection and education welfare services to cater for the needs of these young people, many of whom may have left school and face significant difficulties in their young lives.
"I am currently in the process of appointing a new National Youth Work Advisory Committee and I will be tasking this group with identifying new youth work-based approaches to address some of these big issues. This will include mapping-out new and innovative policy responses for inclusion in the Government’s upcoming ‘Children’s and Young People’s Policy Framework’ which my Department is currently preparing.
Three international keynote speakers informed the symposium debate on the current and future challenges to youth work and related provision, having regard to preliminary findings from a literature review focused on the Systematic Mapping of Outcomes in Youth Work carried out by the Institute of Education, London.
Dr. Dana Fusco, Associate Professor, Department of Teacher Education, York College, City University of New York led the discussion on current and emerging issues and trends stating: "Ireland is taking on a task that the professional youth work community has been grappling with for years - defining the heart of youth work, its raison d'être, and figuring out how to calculate its impact in the lives of young people and their communities. You have the potential of leading the charge for youth work the world over and I am honoured and delighted to be a part of it."
Dr. Dale Blyth, Associate Dean for Youth Development and Director of the Youth Work Institute, University of Minnesota Extension also explored issues in measurement and accountability in youth work: "The growing international recognition of the importance and evolving nature of youth work makes these exciting times for developing youth policy and practice approaches informed by multiple types of evidence. I am delighted to be in Ireland sharing lessons from the United States ongoing journey and learning from discussions of the types of challenges and opportunities faced by countries."
Dr. John Bamber, Centre for Effective Services discussed issues in focussing on outcomes in youth work and related provision staging: "Youth workers in Ireland make a significant contribution to the life chances of young people. This symposium provides an important opportunity to consider this contribution in the light of an emerging international evidence base".