Youth Work in Northern Ireland:

YOUTH STUDIES IRELANDcumbersome funding applications took them away from what they perceived as ‘thereal business of working with young people’. Participants were also concerned that the‘competitive nature of funding’ has had a negative effect on youth work. As oneparticipant stated:Youth work has become competitive and that undermines traditional youth workvalues. The nature of funding now determines what we do with young people ratherthan the issues that young people feel are important.A number of participants believed that this problem was exacerbated by the top-downorientation of government policy.We keep waiting on the next government policy or priority to tell us what needs to bedone with young people. Often it is youth workers who are at the coal-face and knowwhat the needs of young people are. But we are told what to do with young people bypolicy makers and funders.Both the status of youth work and the role of the youth worker were also of concern torespondents, particularly those who had received professional training in youth work.Some felt uncomfortable with the fact that ‘anyone working with young people can callthemselves a youth worker’. While acknowledging the fact that volunteers and nonqualifiedyouth workers provide an important service to young people, some qualifiedworkers believed that only those with professional training should be formally recognisedas youth workers. They believed that initial professional training is essential in order foryouth workers to understand the ‘skills, knowledge and experience needed to work withyoung people’. These participants expressed concern that youth workers were oftenperceived as ‘less professional than school teachers, social workers and other professionals’.In contrast, non-qualified participants believed that it was more important for youthworkers to be ‘passionate about the work’ and prepared to be ‘available to young people atall times’. These indigenous youth workers felt they had more knowledge of the youngpeople they work with and were more accessible. While the non-qualified workers werevery articulate in discussing the issues confronting young people in their communities, theyhad more difficulty engaging in discussion about the nature and purpose of youth work.Some participants with many years’ experience drew attention to the ways in whichthe nature of youth work in Northern Ireland has changed. They identified ‘thetroubles’ and difficult socio-economic circumstances as having an adverse affect oncommunities and young people.Being a youth worker is different now than it was twenty years ago. The essence ofyouth work is no longer simply to get young people off the streets and into youth clubs.Youth workers are expected to engage young people who have particular difficultiesand provide a service that attempts to meet all their needs.Another youth worker highlighted the increasing complexity of young people’s livesand therefore of the work itself.It’s only in recent years that youth workers have recognised the need to address issuessuch as suicide and mental health and the importance of diet and the environment.Young peoples’ lives are becoming more and more complicated and the transition intoadulthood is more prolonged.14 VOL. 1 NO. 1 AUTUMN 2006