scholarly journals A National Professional Development System for Youth Workers

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Stone ◽  
Pam Garza ◽  
Lynne Borden
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Federal Agencies ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Direct Service ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Development System ◽  
Initial Framework

A persistent challenge in the youth development field is the lack of a systemic approach to attracting, developing and sustaining its workforce, particularly direct service workers. While serious efforts to address workforce development have dotted the youth work landscape, especially over the last 15 years, much of this progress has been organization-specific rather than across the field or systemic (Quinn, 2004). In 2004, 30 individuals who were knowledgeable about the issues came together to address the challenge of attracting, developing and retaining youth workers. They represented diverse sectors of the field, including direct service workers, national youth-serving agencies, local and national intermediary organizations, federal agencies and corporate and foundation philanthropies. They took the bold step of designing an initial framework and strategy for a coordinated national professional development system for youth workers. They also agreed to pursue the next steps to collectively create the system (Stone, Garza, & Borden, 2005).

scholarly journals Youth Work Matters: Online Professional Development for Youth Workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Robideau ◽  
Karyn Santl
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Online Setting ◽  
Viable Method

As the field of youth development becomes more recognized as a profession, it is imperative that youth workers are trained in foundational youth development research and practice. However, accessibility and cost can limit participation in face-to-face workshops and conferences. Online, cohort-based courses are a viable method to offer professional development for youth workers. This program article provides an overview of the online course, Youth Work Matters, which has provided training to youth workers for over 10 years. The authors demonstrate that professional development for youth workers in an online setting will increase access to learning opportunities. This article also describes key components for an online, non-credit course for participants to gain knowledge, apply new concepts and participate in learning communities.

scholarly journals FORMATION OF YOUTH WORKER PROFESSIONALISM: PROBLEMS IN ESTONIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-96
Author(s):  
Maarika Veigel
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Development Model ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Youth Worker

Youth field has been in constant evolution during the restoration period of Estonian independence, since 1991. The theoretical overview is about youth worker professionalism, associated with the developments in the European and Estonian youth field and in the context of the Berliner competency levels development model. It explains the expectations set for youth workers, to teaching and youth field institutions. Youth work is expected, like formal education, with more clearly defined educational goals, and it is emphasized that it is a non-formal education. An important aspect is enjoying of the activities and its educational elements. The National Curriculum for Basic Schools and Gymnasium (2011) sets the expectations that the non-formal education will give more support to students to complete the curriculum of formal education. Youth work in Estonia is an essential component of the educational system. Therefore, the professionalism of youth workers and their coping with new challenges is very important. Over the last ten years, major changes in the Estonian youth worker professionalism and in the aspects of professional development haven’t been mentioned. The answers are briefly: in Estonia youth worker profession has been associated with the development of youth field, but the staff preparation is very different and characterised by low working experience. Berliner presented development model of competency levels, treats the professional development as long-term, complex process, distinguishing between the five stages of development of the professional staff, which are also regarded in the context of the professional development of the youth worker. Youth work quality is dependent on the availability of professional youth workers and in order to gain it, the high mobility inside the sector should be reduced, a better situation and more support should be created for the formation of youth worker professionalism at the various levels of the professional growth. Key words: competency, professional level, professionalism, youth work, youth worker.

scholarly journals Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of a Core Competencies Measure for Malaysian Youth Workers

Young ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-405
Author(s):  
Mahazan Muhammad ◽  
Steven Eric Krauss ◽  
Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh ◽  
Lee Kwan Meng ◽  
Azimi Hamzah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Psychometric Validation ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Validity And Reliability

Core competencies in youth work refer to demonstrated capacities of quality performance that allow youth development workers to be resources for the young people, organizations and communities with whom they work. While a number of practice frameworks based on core competencies have been developed, few validated assessment measures exist to help identify professional development needs for youth workers. This article describes the adaptation and psychometric validation of a core competency assessment tool for youth work practitioners in Malaysia. A quantitative study was undertaken to validate an adapted core competency measure with a sample of 300 Malaysian youth workers. Psychometric validation included both internal consistency and construct, convergent and discriminant validity tests. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded 12 core competency sub-scales. Adequate internal consistency was achieved for each subscale along with the full measure. The findings support the validity and reliability of the core competency measure. Recommendations for application and further research are discussed.

scholarly journals Collecting and using youth development outcomes data to improve youth work practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-128
Author(s):  
Dean Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Group Process ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Structured Learning ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Development Outcomes

AbstractThere is increasing scrutiny on the factors necessary to ensure that youth development programs consistently enhance the learning and development of young people. One of these key factors is the involvement of high-quality youth work practitioners who can facilitate an individual or group process to the benefit of all participants. While the practice of reflective learning is a core best-practice principle of youth workers, there is little emphasis on their own structured learning and development beyond their initial qualification. Based on findings from a pilot project testing the first practitioner-led outcomes framework in New South Wales, Australia, this article examines the role of outcomes data in contributing to the ongoing development of youth workers and youth development organisations. It argues that external performance data is both critical to individual and organisational development, and can enhance existing reflective practices such as workplace supervision.

scholarly journals Investing in Professional Development: Building and Sustaining a Viable 4-H Youth Workforce for the Future

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-May
Author(s):  
Kirk A. Astroth ◽  
James Lindstrom
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
The Future

Positive youth development outcomes are influenced by a competent, highly trained work force that enjoys their work with young people. The youth work field has struggled with how to keep and motivate front line youth workers given the heavy workloads, low pay, lack of recognition and irregular time demands to compete with family responsibilities. Professional development is a key strategy for retaining and motivating youth workers. A model of professional development called the Western 4-H Institute has been developed and held now for two sessions. Results from participants indicate that this strategy can have a positive influence on job satisfaction, competencies, and retention. In fact, only 10 percent of participants had left during the intervening 5 years, and job satisfaction had increased significantly over time. Organizational loyalty among participants is not high, but with early career professionals, they may still be trying to find their niche. A regional training model has shown itself to be effective in supporting 4-H youth professionals and is building a sustainable workforce for the future.

Enhancing Learning Through Digital Technology in the Practice of Youth Work

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-61
Author(s):  
Lee Kwan Meng ◽  
Ismi Arif Ismail ◽  
Nor Aini Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Theoretical Concepts

The goal of youth work is to facilitate and contribute to the positive development of young people, as well as to resolve issues that are problematic to them. In the process of this growth and development, their learning is paramount, particularly in the nonformal form of learning. While learning has to be anchored on classical learning theories and concepts, the advent of digital technology has caused a paradigm shift in the learning approaches of youth learning. How they relate to each other is what this article is about. It examines the theoretical concepts of learning, what these digital tools and platforms are, and how they relate to each other. Nevertheless, youth workers have to be equipped with a foundation of youth development before they can effectively use these digital tools to facilitate learning. Digital technology tools with their platforms are merely a medium for learning, not part of the end process of learning, and youth workers have to differentiate the specific role of these digital tools.

scholarly journals Moving Beyond Where and When to the People and Practices That Impact Youth

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Karen Pittman
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
After School ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
The People ◽  
Skill Building

Descriptors like after-school and out-of-school make it easy for funders and families to understand the basics of what the youth development field offers—places for young people to go when they are not in school. These descriptors, however, do little to promote the youth work profession. Youth work is best practiced in settings that prioritize relationships, promote social and community engagement, and provide opportunities for interest-based skill building and exploration. The value youth workers bring to their practice, as the archive of articles in this journal demonstrates, is not in the basic descriptors of the setting, but in the design of the learning environments. This article explores the need for youth work professionals to use, contribute to, and share our knowledge base within and outside of the field.

scholarly journals STEM Professional Development for Youth Workers: Results of a Triangulated Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 178-196
Author(s):  
Melissa Pearman Fenton ◽  
Leslie Hawley ◽  
Saundra Wever Frerichs ◽  
Kathleen Lodl
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Program Director ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Stem Learning ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Development Professionals ◽  
Youth Development Professionals ◽  
The Impact

To increase the quality of informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities, many youth development professionals working in out-of-school time (OST) programs need professional development focused on facilitating these types of activities. Nebraska Extension developed an open-access repository of resources that support an ongoing, blended approach to STEM professional development for youth workers. The current study evaluated the impact on staff, programs, and youth achieved by implementing Click2Science resources in sites at a large youth serving organization. Data sources included site or program director/coordinator and frontline staff perceptions about their experiences during the professional development events, observations of staff facilitating STEM learning with youth, and youth interest in STEM. Findings demonstrated an increase in STEM program quality, as measured by the Dimensions of Success (DoS) Observational Tool (n.d.). Site or program director/coordinators and frontline staff found the professional development eye-opening and user friendly, and noted increased youth engagement following the intervention. Youth reported positive perceptions of STEM learning experiences. Triangulation of these three sources confirmed the promising utility and effectiveness of this professional development approach. Further research is needed to extend the preliminary findings and support the case for increased investment in STEM professional development for youth development professionals.

scholarly journals Self-efficacy and Perceived Organizational Support by Workers in a Youth Development Setting

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-48
Author(s):  
Sara Rockow ◽  
Christopher L. Kowalski ◽  
Kong Chen ◽  
Anthony Smothers
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Perceived Organizational Support ◽  
The Body ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Youth Development Professionals ◽  
The Relationship

The efficacy levels of workers in the youth development field can significantly impact the work done with youth.  These levels may be impacted by workers’ perceptions of administrative occupational support at their organization.  To date, limited research exists that examines youth work efficacy levels, and no research studies exist analyzing the relationship between youth workers’ efficacy levels and perceived organizational support.  The current study examined the relationship between self-efficacy and the perceived organizational support felt by workers in a youth development setting.  A total of 198 surveys were completed; results indicated that youth work efficacy was significantly related to perceived organizational support.  This study is important to enhancing the body of knowledge regarding self-efficacy levels of workers in a youth development setting, as well as understanding motivation and self-confidence of youth development professionals.

scholarly journals Investing in Youth Work: Learning from Complexity

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Denissen Cunnien
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Dynamic System ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Engaged Learning ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Development Approach

This article proposes key elements for a system of support for youth workers to develop their professional skills and capabilities by using a human development approach.  The article argues that narrowed and bureaucratic approaches to professional development can ignore the complex dynamics of human development that support engaged learning and continuous growth and improvement.  The author suggests a more dynamic system where professional development in grounded by practice; employs reflection, mentorship and coaching; and supports healthy organizational culture to foster high quality youth work.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document