The Enrichment Benchmarks and £132.5 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme, supporting the Enrichment Entitlement, create a real opportunity to widen access to enrichment for all young people. Delivering this at scale will require strong partnerships between schools and the youth sector, drawing on youth work’s expertise in building trusted relationships. We welcome the fact that strong partnership working, including with youth, community and voluntary sector organisations, is embedded in these Enrichment Benchmarks.
The National Youth Strategy strives to half the participation gap in enriching activities between disadvantaged young people and their peers by 2035. Youth workers, through the non-formal educational curriculum they provide, engage young people with opportunities ranging from outdoor pursuits to volunteering, civic action to youth leadership, which help unlock talents and aspirations, whilst also promoting essential life skills that will support them into the world of work.
The impact of these opportunities goes far beyond the playing field or the dance studio: they help nurture the relationships, resilience and sense of belonging that young people need to thrive into adulthood.
NYA’s research into youth work with, and in, schools highlights the impact youth workers can have alongside teachers, helping to bridge gaps between schools and communities and bringing a deeper understanding of the wider contexts and barriers in young people’s lives. Our toolkit promotes shared understanding for stronger partnership working between youth work organisations and schools and colleges to support the enrichment agenda.
Building on this learning, we are working with the Enrichment for All coalition to explore what the Enrichment Entitlement and Benchmarks mean in practice for schools, colleges and youth sector organisations. In the coming weeks, we will host a webinar in partnership with Enrichment for All, providing a practical introduction to the Enrichment Entitlement and Benchmarks, highlighting their relevance for youth sector organisations. We will also showcase successful partnerships and explore how schools and colleges can work with youth organisations to deliver better outcomes for young people and provide a space for participants to explore local opportunities and challenges in enrichment provision. Follow us on social media and/or subscribe to our newsletter for more details.
