PRESS RELEASE : Government funding to train 500 new youth workers [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 27 September 2023.
Young people will get better support and services as the Government supports the training of youth workers with £800,000 of new funding, the Culture Secretary has announced today.
- New bursaries for 500 youth workers to get skills and qualifications to better support young people
- £800,000 in government funding will mean more vulnerable children and teenagers have someone trained to talk to outside school
- Extra funding so local organisations can work together better to improve their youth offer
- Clearer government guidance to make it easier for local authorities to provide more opportunities and services
- Builds on the Government’s ‘National Youth Guarantee’, backed by an investment of more than £500 million
Young people will get better support and services as the Government supports the training of youth workers with £800,000 of new funding, the Culture Secretary has announced today.
More than 500 youth workers and volunteers, who would otherwise be unable to undertake training, will have their course fees fully paid for by the Government.
The funding will allow adults to access a Level 2, 3 or 4 youth worker qualifications, meaning more vulnerable children and teenagers will have someone trained to talk to outside of school, providing a guiding hand to keep them on the right path and unlock their potential.
Funding for youth qualifications in 2020 enabled one youth worker in Leicester to complete the Level 3 Diploma, allowing him to continue delivering music sessions and providing mentoring as a qualified youth worker rather than a volunteer.
In Norwich, another youth worker who delivers creative writing workshops for young people struggling to engage in education, was unable to access qualifications due to their cost. Thanks to a Government bursary, she was able to undertake the Level Two Youth Work Certificate, enhancing her practice.
The Government is also announcing more funding for youth services delivered at a regional level to help youth groups, local authorities and businesses work together more effectively and give young people the best start in life.
The move builds on Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer’s aim to give young people ‘someone to talk to, something to do and somewhere to go’, outlined in a recent keynote speech at the Onward Think Tank.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:
I want every young person to have the best start in life and part of that is having a trusted adult and mentor who they can turn to for advice and guidance. For many this will be their parents or family member but for others it will be the Youth worker they meet at their local club.
Youth workers provide an invaluable role for tens of thousands of young people when the school day ends, which is why we are funding 500 more youth workers and volunteers to get qualified.
This funding builds on our investment in the youth sector, with more than £300 million to build or refurbish up to 300 youth centres across the country via the Youth Investment Fund.
The plans announced today include over £300,000 to support and improve the delivery of youth services at a regional level. Existing regional youth work units will receive £40,000 over the next two years to facilitate greater coordination between youth services across eight regions, making sure the sector is well-informed, skilled and able to meet young people’s needs. Regional units also unlock additional funding opportunities to provide more young people with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.
The funding comes in addition to £250,000 being allocated to encourage local partnerships as part of the Local Partnerships Fund, which will be used to improve services on a more local level. The fund is designed to encourage partnerships between youth services and councils, schools, local sporting and smaller community based organisations so they can provide a more holistic experience for young people.
Partnering with The Young People’s Foundation Trust, the funding will be allocated to ten areas to support partnerships between local organisations. This will help to attract additional funding, such as through match funding by local authorities, raising the standards of local youth services.
Martin Hartley-Smith, CEO Young BWD Foundation said:
DCMS funding via Local Partnerships Fund has been the cornerstone in establishing the Young BWD Foundation in Blackburn with Darwen, enabling us to develop a borough-wide strategic plan in close partnership with the local authority.
Our collaboration has not only positioned the BWD Foundation and its members as a key strategic partner but has also facilitated the securing of additional funding for a pivotal youth justice project.
Building on the latest financial support for the sector, the Government has also updated the statutory duty guidance which outlines how local authorities should secure services for young people in their area.
Developed in collaboration with the youth sector, local authorities and young people, the updated guidance includes more detailed information on how to work with other local organisations to best meet the needs of young people.
The updated guidance includes:
- Clarifications on what local authorities must do under the duty;
- Suggested activities and examples of best practice;
- Ways local authorities can work with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, youth workers, school and colleges, businesses and employers and other agencies and bodies;
- Guidance on taking views of young people in their area into account on current and future provision.
Michael Bracey, Chief Executive of Milton Keynes City Council said:
Youth work can make a hugely positive contribution to helping younger residents thrive and, in turn, the wider community. The guidance is a helpful reminder of the opportunity it presents for council’s as they work to build successful places
Today’s announcement supports the Government’s ‘National Youth Guarantee’ that every young person aged 11-18 in England will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home, and volunteering opportunities by 2025. It is backed by an investment of more than £500 million. This includes the Government’s Youth Investment Fund of more than £300 million, of which £160 million has been delivered. This will support up to 300 youth centres across the country to be rebuilt or redeveloped, and help 45,000 more young people access regular, positive activities every year.
This follows the announcement earlier this week that 7,500 disadvantaged young people are to be given access to adventures away from home as part of Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer’s vision that all young people have something productive to do.
