What is the Youth work Act 2001?
In December 2001, The Youth Work Act became Law.  It confers certain responsibilities onto the Minister for Education and Science, namely to develop and co-ordinate youth work programmes and services including co-ordination with education and other programmes.

What is the purpose of the Youth Work Act 2001?
The purpose of the Youth Work Act 2001 is to provide a statutory framework for the provision of youth work programmes and services by the Minister, VECs and by the National and Regional Youth Organisations.

The key features of the Act are to:
Define the functions of VECs regarding youth work, particularly the procedures, planning and prioritising of funds and the reporting on the provision of youth work programmes and services;

• To establish a special Youth Work Committee in each VEC area;
  

• To establish Voluntary Youth Councils to represent the needs and demands of the voluntary sector at local level
  

• To provide for the structure of the National Youth Work Advisory Committee (NYWAC);
  

• To formalise the allocation of grants for youth work;

So what does this mean?
This means, that under the Act, Vocational Education Committees (VEC’s) will, for the first time, have statutory responsibility for the development of youth work in their areas. In order to carry out its responsibility each VEC must establish a Youth Work Committee and a Voluntary Youth Council.

Each Voluntary Youth Council will advise on the preparation and implementation of the VEC Youth Work Development Plan. The Voluntary Youth Council will also provide a forum for the voluntary youth work organisations to discuss the provision of youth work and services.

The National Youth Work Advisory Committee (NYWAC) will advise the Minister on co-ordination and development of youth services at national level. The Act is designed to lay out a Structure, under which Youth Work is carried out in Ireland. 

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What is Youth Work?
Under the Youth Work Act 2001, the Definition of Youth Work is

“A planned programme of education designed for the purpose of aiding and enhancing the personal and social development of young people through their voluntary participation, which is complimentary to their formal, academic or vocational education and training; provided primarily by voluntary youth organisations.”

In this context, ‘Young People’ are defined as being under 25.  

Under the Youth Work Act 2001 the following Roles & Functions were formed:

Functions of the Minister include:

• Development and co-ordination of youth work programmes and services (including co-ordination of youth work with other services for young people)
  

• Financial support
  

• Research, Monitoring and Assessment of programmes and services
  

• Youth Work Policy

The National Youth Work Advisory Committee (NYWAC) advises the Minister on:

• The provision, co-ordination and evaluation of youth work programmes and services
  

• The development and implementation of youth work policies
  

• The co-ordination of youth work programmes and services with general educational and non-educational services for young people.

Vocational Education Committees must

• Co-ordinate plans, proposals and activities re youth work programmes/services and related activities
  

• Provide financial assistance
  

• Prepare a Youth Work Development Plan
  

• Compile Youth Work Annual Report
  

• Designate, review or withdrawal of designation for local youth work/service organisations.
  

• Establish a Youth Work Committee to advise and make recommendations to the VEC on the performance of its youth work functions
  

• Establish a Voluntary Youth Council to advise on matters relating to the Youth Work Development Plan and to act as a forum for voluntary youth organisations

Youth Work Committees

• There will be 12 - 20 Members: 50% from statutory sector, 50% from Voluntary sector
  

• Will serve a maximum of three years
  

• Make recommendations to VEC on youth work functions and other matters as requested
  

• Will establish a Local Voluntary Youth Council in their area and appoint 50% of their membership to it

Voluntary Youth Councils

• There will be 10-20 representatives (20% under 25)
  

• Be a forum for the voluntary youth organisations operating in the area to discuss the provision of youth work programmes and youth works services in the area
  

• Will advise the VEC on the preparation or implementation of any matter specified in a Development Plan prepared by them
  

• Nominate persons for appointment to a youth work committee
  

 Approach of Co. Cavan VEC towards the Youth Work Act:

• Youth Work is for all young people
  

• Promote diversity of provision
  

• Encourage and support voluntarism
  

• Promote quality standards in management and youth work practice
  

• Promote the active participation in decision making in youth groups
  

• Allocate resources to meet needs

Expectations on how the Youth Work Act will impact on local youth services:

• There will be more consistency and transparency across the country
  

• There will be additional resources
  

• There will be an improvement on the quality and consistency in the level of services
  

• There will be more co-ordination and/or integration of youth work with other provisions for young people

For any further information required, please contact our Youth Officer: