Lifelong Learning UK Northern Ireland and the Youth Council for Northern Ireland (YCNI) recently launched the revised Professional and National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Youth Work after extensive consultation with the youth work sector in Northern Ireland.Both the Department of Education and the Department for Employment and Learning have lent their support to the NOS and have recognised that development of NOS for youth work is a key step in developing a highly skilled and flexible workforce in Northern Ireland. Lifelong Learning UK works closely with employers such as the Youth Council, Education and Library Boards, voluntary youth work sector organisations and Youthnet as well as stakeholders across the UK to develop standards and qualifications in the lifelong learning sector.

 

At the launch, Gerard Doran and Denis Palmer, on behalf of the statutory and voluntary youth work sector said “The National Occupational Standards for youth work are a significant indicator of the professionalism with which youth workers perform their duties whether in a paid or voluntary capacity and they are to be welcomed by all in our sector. The launch of the standards provides us now with a challenge to ensure that they are used to their maximum potential. This launch may highlight the end the process of their development but it also begins the start of a process that will require the whole of the sector to work with LLUK to translate them into meaningful tools.”

You can access the standards and find out more at http://www.lluk.org/national-occupational-standards.htm