Academic literature on the topic 'Youthworkers'

Abstract This study is a historical analysis of the education of youth ministers in the Anglican diocese of Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s. John Kidson ran the Youthworkers Course with the goal of educating professional, specialised youth ministers that could evangelise young people who were influenced by the counter-culture and increasingly disengaged from the church. Kidson used a distinctive educational model that emphasised relational outreach, transformative community, praxis, and the importance of the Bible. His goal was only partially met. He trained youth ministers that were able to communicate with and evangelise non-churched youth, but there were small numbers being trained, and few remained in youth ministry in the long-term. The Youthworkers Course and its strengths and weaknesses can be used as a case study for churches and colleges today as they consider the best way to educate youth ministers.

The CRASH (Cultural, Recreational, Academic, Skills for life, and Health) programme was designed for “at risk” secondary students and ran for the 1996 and 1997 school years in a multi-ethnic Porirua secondary school. The research which accompanied the project derives its strength from the triangulation of the experiences and perceptions of the teachers, the CRASH course tutors (local community youthworkers) and the students. The research has developed theoretical and practical understandings of the achievements and shortcomings of the project. This particular article provides an overview of the CRASH programme and focuses specifically on the students’ perspective. CRASH was found to be a positive experience for the students who participated, at least in the short term. A central feature of the programme’s success was the ability of successful tutors both to create a safe place for “at risk” students and to assist them in “getting heard”.

During the latter half of the twentieth century, youthwork has emerged as an occupation responsible for the delivery of a broad variety of services for young people. During the 1970's and 80's in particular, there has been a rapid multiplication of the number of people employed in the role of youthworker. As an occupation, youthwork has had placed upon it by society certain expectations regarding the standard of the work performed. This is particularly so with respect to the interaction between the youthworker and young people with whom they work. This expectation is not unlike that placed upon other occupations working directly with people (and young people), such as teachers and social workers. It is a reasonable societal expectation that workers such as teachers, social workers and youthworkers, should provide a service of a certain standard, commensurate with the responsibility ascribed to the role of that occupation. Education and training is recognised as being fundamental to the attainment of recognised standards of competency in both teaching and social work, as well as many other occupations which have a direct service delivery role with people. A spectrum of such opportunities have been developed and provided for these occupations. There is an expectation that the practice of such occupations is fundamentally linked with the education and training provided. However, this has not been so with the youthwork occupation. The provision of education and training has not grown with the expansion in the occupation. Furthermore, the linkage between education and training, and practice, was not recognised in this field for many years. Questions about how and why this has occurred, and how and by whom it should be redressed, are to be explored in this Study. That youthwork is an occupation is a fact. There are thousands of youthworkers employed around Australia. This Study asserts that the provision of education and training opportunities provided for this occupation are inadequate in general. A cohesive policy framework for such provision is also lacking. Australian society sanctions the occupation of youthwork by providing millions of dollars of resources per annum. It expects, rightly so, a quality standard of performance from the occupation, and services who are employers. Monitoring through formal evaluation and the application of performance indicators are part and parcel of such resource allocation. But, the means to achieve such quality standards - education and training - have not been adequately recognised or provided. This situation is clearly anomalous, and must therefore be addressed and resolved.