The Next Generation Youth Work Coalition page provides publications and the quarterly bulletin developed by or in conjunction with the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition.  All of these are designed to develop a strong, diverse youth work workforce that is stable, prepared, supported and committed to the well-being and empowerment of young people.

Click here for a description of the Coalition.

Join the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition!

Thanks for your ongoing support and interest in the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition.  Given the growing interest and momentum in the field, we would like to formally acknowledge membership in the Coalition. This is a coalition and not a membership association, but by formally acknowledging our growing ranks, we can increase the visibility of this work in the field and further engage and give credit to those of you who are interested in supporting this cause and participating in the work.  Click here to learn more and to join the Next Gen Coalition! Please fax your completed membership forms to 202-393-4517.

Contact Pam Garza at pam@nassembly.org for any questions.

Quarterly Bulletin

Each quarter the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition publishes a bulletin to keep the field up-to-date on the latest projects, events and progress made with and on behalf of the youth work workforce.  To view and download these bulletins go to: Bulletins

Publications, Projects and Resources

Critical Workforce Issues for the Youth Work Profession

This powerpoint presentation was designed to introduce the front-line youth worker study and provide promising practices based on core elements of a professional development/workforce system including: recruitment, standards and competencies; learning resourcses; learning delivery systems; compensation and career pathways and research and evaluation.

Click here to download the PowerPoint Presentation.

Moving from Knowledge to Action in San Francisco

To begin addressing San Francisco and the field's concern about recruiting and developing a strong, committed and valued workforce, the Community Network for Youth Development (CNYD) this brief to map existing workforce efforts and catalyze local field leaders to create create a profssional regional workforce system for youth workers.

Click here to download this resource.

Frontline Youth Worker Findings PowerPoint

This annotated powerpoint presentation, Addressing Critical Workforce Issues for the Youth Work Profession: Key Opportunities and Challenges, reviews key findings from the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition’s study of front-line youth workers and discusses implications for the field. The presentation also reviews the Coalition’s action agenda developed in response to the findings. Talking points are included so that you can give all or parts of this presentation to your own networks, if useful. Click here to download.

Youth Worker Workforce Featured!

In March 2007, Youth Today featured the youth worker workforce in an article titled, "Portrait of an American Youth Worker."  The article focuses on who is the workforce, why people are youth workers and issues that face the youth worker workforce.  Click here to download and read the full article.

Career Pathways and Next Generation Youth Work Coalition

Cornerstones for Kids has once again funded support of the work for the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition. To kick off its first explicit round of policy work, the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition will work with identified networks/coalitions in seven “early adapter” states and cities across the nation (Baltimore/Maryland, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York City, Vermont) that are already on the leading edge in addressing youth work workforce issues. Each team will identify key leverage points for change within their state or city and program toward policy change and action in the following seven areas: recognizes competence; rewards competence; requires competence; redefines competence; reflects the perspectives of all stakeholders; relies on the use of public and private dollars and reaches all youth workers.

Click here for a two page description of the Career Pathways work.  (Word doc)

Click here to view the Career Pathways chart. (Word doc)

Putting Youth Work on the Map  (The Forum for Youth Investment)

Over the past year, two comprehensive studies of youth workers were coordinated by the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition. Together, these two studies, conducted by the Forum for Youth Investment and the National Afterschool Association, capture the voices and perspectives of over 5,000 youth workers from across the country. Together they offer the clearest, most comprehensive picture yet of the youth work profession: who youth workers are, where they work, how they are supported on the job and what their aspirations are, for themselves and the field. This research brief discusses key findings and implications from these studies, and includes recommendations generated by key Coalition stake holders in response to the data.  Click here to download the report.

Click here to view the press release for this study.  (MS Word Format)

Voices and Choices: Illinois Youth Work Professionals Discuss Opportunities, Challenges, and Options for the Profession  (The Forum for Youth Investment on behalf of the Next Generation Youth Coalition)

This is one of a series of reports produced by the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition about the youth workforce. This report summarizes themes from eight focus groups conducted with 83 Illinois youth workers from both urban and rural locations around the state. Topics include the motivation for entering this work, youth work preparation, what workers need to feel supported, career challenges, and factors influencing decisions to stay in or leave the field.  Click here to download the report.

Setting the Stage for a Youth Development Associate Credential  ( National Institute on Out-of-School Time)
 
"This paper reviews efforts to create professional and career development systems in the field of youth work. The report describes evidence of the value of credentialing programs in enhancing the workforce and improving the quality of programs and positive outcomes for youth. The report additionally includes information from the field of early care and education, which has considerable experience with professional development through credentials that provides valuable lessons for the field of youth work."  Click here to download the report.

Growing the Next Generation of Youth Work Professionals:  Workforce Opportunities and Challenges  (Forum for Youth Investment on behalf of the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition)

Summarizes themes from eight focus groups conducted among 83 Illinois youth workers from both urban and rural locations around the state. Questions asked, and addressed, include the motivation for entering this workforce, youth work preparation, what workers need to feel supported, career challenges, and factors influencing decisions to stay in, or leave, the field. Click here to download the report.

Finding our Strength:  Boston's Youth Worker Survey Findings  (Achieve Boston on behalf of the Next Generation Youth Coalition)

One of a series of briefs to be produced by the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition on the topic of the youth workforce, this report details the findings of a survey of 316 youth workers in Boston. The report describes who these youth workers are, what their level of education is, what types of supports their organizations provide, their job mobility and job satisfaction, and other characteristics which begin to draft a portrait of what this workforce looks like.  Click here to download the report.

Understanding the Afterschool Workforce:  Opportunities and Challenges for an Emerging Profession  (National AfterSchool Association)

In this report, the National AfterSchool Association summarizes the results of its survey of afterschool workers, providing a detailed description of the workforce. These data, along with information from the Next Gen survey of youth workers, provides the most comprehensive illustration to date of the youth development workforce: who they are, what types of organizations employ them, and how - and if - they are supported by these organizations. Based on the results of these surveys, NAA suggests both policy and practice oriented strategies designed to strengthen the afterschool field.  Click here to download the report.

Capturing Promising Practices in Recruitment and Retention of Frontline Youth Workers  (National Collaboration for Youth)

Research is clear that children and youth benefit from consistent, caring adults in their lives.  Even though this is the case, local organizations continue to struggle to recruit and retain frontline youth workers.  The National Collaboration for Youth surveyed its members and interviewed staff from local organizations to provide strategies they use to effectively recruit and retain staff who work directly with youth.  Click here to view.

In addition, the Pre-Symposium Report provides case studies of local organizations and their strategies.  Click here to view the Pre-Symposium Report.

Attracting, Developing and Retaining Youth Workers

In mid-November of 2004, a group of 35 youth development professionals representing diverse sectors of the field (youth workers, national youth-serving agencies, local and national intermediary organizations, Federal agencies and corporate and foundation philantrhopies) agreed to come together as thinking partners in order to develop design ideas for a youth development workforce system.  Held at the Wingspread Conference Center in Racine (WI), the conference was sponsored by the National Collaboration for Youth, National 4-H Headquarters and the University of Arizona.  Through a series of large-and-small -group work sessions, the group agreed on several specific ideas, including the vision for core components of a system.  In addition, the group committted itself to pursuing several next steps to enact the vision and begin creating a system.  For more information go to:

Wing2pgsummary.pdf
WingReportcomplete.pdf
MakingCase alt.pdf