Transcript Young adult issue working group

PFY: A young adult lens
(Improving young people’s lives through youth work)
A positive approach?
 p.ii greater emphasis on the needs of disadvantaged
young people
 p.1 every young person achieving to his or her full
potential at each stage of his or her development
 support....to reach their potential as valued
individuals and responsible citizens
 p.2 develop a range of skills and attributes...to
improve their life outcomes....and contributors to
their community and the economy
p.6 ...preparing young people for employment and
life
 p. 7 helping to deliver on all (wider g’ment) policies
aimed at improving the life chances of young people
 p.10 good quality youth work achieving a range of
education and wider social aims
 p.15 the needs of the young person should be they
key focus at each stage of development
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P.15 ...helping young people to transition
effectively into adulthood
P. 25 every opportunity should be given to
young people to participate in all aspects of
the youth service, and in a range of different
ways
So looking good?
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“the capacity of the sector to deal with such a wide age
range given the budget constraints.” (p.9)
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“there will be four distinct age bands for ESA funded
youth work, 4-8, 9-13, 14-18 and 19-21.
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Services for young adults in the age range 22-25 will
only be considered where there is compelling
evidenced need for youth work interventions for this
age range.” (p.18)
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p.17 youth work goes nine years beyond the
compulsory school age
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Given the pressure on the education
budget...the current age range is too broad to
provide a consistent level of services
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p.19 the focus for the older age range of 1921 will be either issue based programmes or
volunteering and leadership opportunities
making the case for the continued and enhanced delivery of
dedicated youth work provision for 16-25 year olds, both at a
universal and targeted level.
Data collection:
 Appoint researcher from University of Ulster
 65 young adult responses to survey monkey questionnaire
including qualitative feedback
 Over 500 young people feeding in through ‘Let’s Talk’
dialogue events
 15-18 youth organisations responded via Young Adult
Advisory Group
The summary paper
Executive Summaries {Haydon & McAlister,
May 2009}, (page 6) note:
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Youth provision needs to cater more for
the needs of older teenagers and young
adults.
‘Curricula Review Group’ (16 – 25year olds) identified core
principles as core elements of the work with 16-25yr olds:
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diverse group who require a range of services to meet their needs
from the highly specialist to inclusion in the mainstream.
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benefit from a commitment to a programme which lasts long enough
to allow them to develop their capacity and to identify an exit
strategy.
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benefit from programmes with outcomes with which they can easily
identify (pathway to employment and personal and social
development).
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critical moments
potentially stressful
more counselling
greater educational awareness and
learning on emotional and mental health
more information on who and where to go
to get emotional support.
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Youth work with young people aged 16 years plus
has a significant role to play in the realisation of
the vision and goals within these strategy
documents and action plans
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Youth work is well placed to address health issues
with young people, helping them to make
informed choices in relation to their physical and
mental health, providing emotional support,
signposting and acting as an advocate.
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There is significant evidence that youth work has a
positive impact on affective constructs such as self esteem
and self confidence.
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The case for 16-25 youth work provision, however, is
obviously strengthened by the evidence that shows how
such dispositional changes are translated into tangible
and practical outcomes in terms of education,
employment, income, housing, community participation,
health and well being.
It is important that youth work for 16-25 year
olds is not diminished in any way. The value
of a service is sometimes recognised most
acutely when it is gone. Evidence suggests
that it should indeed be expanded.
(Young Adult Paper, 2012, Mc Grellis & Mc Mullan)
Young Adult Advisory Group – a Collective response
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As reflected in the DE Priorities for Youth Work we believe that:
Equality and inclusion should be fundamental to planning and
implementation and the values of equity, diversity and interdependence
should be at the heart of youth work; (p.14)
Equality, inclusion and rights are the cornerstones of an education
system which enables every learner to fulfil their potential (p.15)
Collective letter to committee, DE and Minister
Young Adult Advisory Group – an individual response
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The evidence of practice demonstrates not only ‘what’ youth
work contributes, but ‘why’ these programmes and activities
are important.
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As many young people have cited “I wouldn’t be here”.
“Let’s Talk Let’s Act: Priorities For Youth
–A young adult perspective”
Monday 12th November @ 11.30am
YouthAction NI , 14 College Square North,
Belfast