YouthLink Scotland’s latest policy briefing summarises youth work’s contribution to national priorities for education and lifelong learning, and how this supports the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation and its Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.
Youth work is uniquely positioned within Scotland’s education and lifelong learning system as a consistent partner, supporting skills development, offering opportunities and pathways to engage with learning and achieve, providing experiential career education, volunteering, employability programmes and one-to-one support across the learner journey. Youth work also plays an essential role in supporting young people through key transition points– primary to secondary education, secondary to post-school and between different parts of the post-school, careers and employability landscape. As part of the Scottish Government’s mission to use education to tackle child poverty, youth work also builds health and well-being, improves readiness to learn, and increases attendance, attainment, achievement and positive post-school destinations, helping to lift young people out of poverty. Youth workers collaborate with other parts of the system to plan and deliver universal opportunities and targeted interventions across school, community and post-school settings.
Lifelong learning and skills reform reinforce the need for youth work in an interconnected education and skills landscape. Youth work’s unique position across the learner journey supports young people in developing the skills, knowledge, values, and attributes to fulfil their potential. Youth work must be recognised and resourced as a fundamental element of the Scottish learning system