A new youth work Curriculum and toolkit for the Government of Jersey Youth Service was launched on 16 Mawrth 2024, to 115 youth practitioners from across the island. The new curriculum standardises youth work practice and provides measurable outcomes of young people being supported by youth work.
Youth work is delivered by a diverse range of organisations in Jersey including voluntary youth organisations and the State of Jersey Youth Service. The NYA worked closely with youth workers and young people on the island to develop the bespoke Curriculum taking an appreciative enquiry approach – which identifies good practice as the basis for strengthening the future model.
The Jersey Youth Work Curriculum considers the cultural and geographic context of youth work in Jersey and what challenges and opportunities these pose for young people living there. Seven themes were defined: Identity and belonging; Culture community and heritage; Health and wellbeing; The environment; Transitions; Economic and Financial wellbeing; and Global citizenship.
The launch event included a session by Karen Self, Learning and Development Manager, NYA on best practice around youth participation and involving young people in the planning of activities.
Karen Self, Learning and Development Manager, NYA, said: “It has been rewarding to be part of developing this new Curriculum which will provide a step change in the quality of youth work on the island with the knock-on effect of providing many more young people with opportunities to unlock their talents, develop their life skills and widen their horizons”
Nathan Le Mottee, Team Manager, Government of Jersey Youth Service said: “I’m delighted to see our new curriculum launched as it is the culmination of two years’ work across the team. Not only will it act as a reference tool that will underpin and strengthen core youth work practices, but importantly it reflects the uniqueness of Jersey”
The Curriculum has been designed as a tool for youth workers on the island, providing an easy-to-use resource to support youth work planning. The Curriculum is a flexible framework, providing guidance on how different, and sometimes multiple, themes can be applied to a particular activity to extend young people’s learning and development. Examples of how the themes can be applied to different activities help youth workers use the resource to their own practice.
Jersey Youth Service have developed training to embed the new Curriculum across their service as well as providing opportunities for staff to upskill through the Level 3 in Youth Work apprenticeship.
To find out more about NYA’s consultancy services email support@nya.org.uk or call us on 0116 242 7350.
