Youth Workers

Definitions and Scope

Target Population: [name of target group]

[identify target group and define who is included or excluded in this category: you want to get it just right: not too broad that it includes those you may not want to include, and not too narrow that it excludes those you want to help. You might be too exclusive: e.g. defining ‘vulnerable’ seniors as ‘low-income’, but you may want to include those without family support. Therefore, you may want to define vulnerable as ‘poor and/or with low family support’. You might be too inclusive: e.g. ‘latchkey kids’ may include those who have working parents, or those with serious behavioural problems.]

Client Segments

[Eg. For at risk youth, some could have behavioural problems and be beyond parental control. Others could merely be disengaged and bored in school. Because it seems like different engagement strategies can be customized to these sub-types, it may make sense to segmentize.]

Size of Target Population

[Size of the universe (size of total potential need/demand for services)] [Size of expressed need (those receiving services and on waitlist)]

Desired impact for target group

[If we have no conception of what counts as a ‘good death’, ‘social inclusion’, ‘engaged youth’ , then it would not be possible to determine whether our policies and services are performing well]

Needs of Youth Workers

Need for career development and pathways

How to retain and extend the runway of youth workers. Youth worker to senior, to supervisor etc.

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Nature of youth work itself is very intense, so there is short shelf life of the frontline youth worker As a whole industry, we lose them, they leave. The kind of demands they have are high. But then the youth worker need to connect with youth, if aging youth worker, may not be able to connect with youth anymore.Same like soccer players, very few of them are above 35.

High rates of turnover? Anecdotally: 14-15% turnover (according to CARE)

Possible Solutions

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Need for continual training and updating of competency

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Need for [ insert description ]

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Need for [ insert description ]

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Resource Directory

Youth Work Association (Singapore)

https://youthworkassociation.org/

youth workers are about 300-400 [WDA study on youth workers]

Check 2005-2006 NYC and NCSS competency framework...for youth workers and volunteers

[insert organization name]

Insert web link