Youth Work Education and Training (YWET)

"As a youth worker, I am dedicated to my work and take a great interest in the young people I work with. However, I feel that my profession needs to be developed in terms of setting standards and deserves more recognition - especially since young people themselves are now seen in a totally new light"

The way that young people and youth development are perceived in the Commonwealth has changed radically. This change must also be reflected in the field of youth work - those who work directly with young people - and youth work training. Young people are now seen as active partners. They are independent stakeholders who participate fully in the development process. For youth workers, this means that young people are no longer their 'clients' to whom they deliver a service. They are now partners who shape and chart the field of youth work together. Youth workers now play the role of 'facilitators' rather than 'providers'.

In light of this, CYP aims to reorient the arena of youth work, through our Youth Work Education and Training (YWET) programme. This brings together youth workers, youth leaders, governments, training agencies, NGOs, the private sector, partner organisations and youth structures - in partnership with young people. Working together, they can share their experiences and compile a body of knowledge and skills. This will help raise the professional standards for youth work.

Through this programme, we also work to bring greater recognition to and respect for youth work practice. We will do this by developing the profession and creating a code of conduct to guide it, as well as structures to monitor and regulate it.

The YWET has reached a level of maturity and is now seen as a credible and important tool for advancing and professionalising youth development work. Through the launch of the Commonwealth Youth Development Journal in May 2003, and the dissemination of the Diploma students’ newsletters in the Commonwealth and beyond, CYP has contributed to the academic and social discourse on youth development at a global level and has had positive effects on the international agenda through sharing best practice.

YWET will be achieved through the following programme:

1. Professionalising Youth Work
   This programme framework incorporates four crosscutting issues:
   a) ICT Development: To strengthen the capacity of young people and their networks and governments and civil society to take advantage of ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of youth development programmes and inventions.
   b) Capacity Building and Institutional Development: To strengthen the capacity of young people and their networks and governments and civil society partners to develop and deliver value-added youth development and empowerment.
   c)  Research based Enquiry: To strengthen the capacity of young people and their networks and governments and civil society partners to utilise the evidence-based approach to youth policy development and implementation.
   d) Youth Development and Sport: To use sports and physical activity to help deliver CYP’s three long-term goals; in particular, in relation to the areas of addressing social exclusion, HIV/AIDS and professionalising youth work.
   The YWET programme will create a framework for youth workers to operate professionally in various sectors of society. There will also be a better overall standard among youth workers as a result of access to education and training. Another positive impact is the partnerships that are being created between the key agencies and training organisations that work together to promote youth development and bring professional standards to youth work.
   CYP believes that human resource development, through formal and non-formal education and training opportunities, is a critical element for providing young people with the knowledge, information and skills required for their full participation in society. Through CYP’s short courses, certificate programme and its Diploma in Youth Development Work, CYP has been able to ensure that the agenda for youth is driven by developmental and growth-oriented goals which are articulated by trained youth professionals. CYP is working in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning as well as academic bodies towards advancing and professionalizing youth development Work.

CYP In Action: CYP Diploma in Youth Development Work

CYP's Diploma in Youth Development Work is designed to equip youth workers with:

• A core of knowledge and skills on which to base their work with young people 
• An understanding of the code of ethics for youth work (based on Commonwealth values) 
• Practical skills to undertake youth work

Youth work in the Commonwealth deals with the personal and social development of young people and uses informal educational methods. In addition, youth workers are taught interpersonal skills to help them work spontaneously and create learning opportunities for the young people they train.

The Diploma course reaches youth workers on a Pan-Commonwealth basis. It is currently delivered in 42 member countries and 6 overseas dependent territories, in partnership with 27 universities and other institutions. The course brings greater recognition to youth work by providing a professional qualification and setting a professional standard.