Youth Work NSW had a long road to get to professionalisation and it still has a long way to go. Step by step we make small advancements.
Youth Work NSW, the professional association for youth workers in NSW, was officially brought into being at the inaugural General Meeting on December 9, 2021.
The successful launch was the result of hard work by an Interim Steering Group, brought together and assisted by Freya Conomos (Youth Action), Howard Sercombe (contracted by Youth Action to develop key foundation instruments such as a draft Constitution), and Sam Kettlewell – Bachelor of Youth Work student.
At the Inaugural General Meeting, the draft Constitution was approved, and office bearers and an Executive Committee were elected.
Come and read about the steps along the journey from small ideas and concepts to establishing a professional association
The NSW Youth Work Conference, workshops were held on what did the youth sector in NSW already have to professionalise, what was needed, and next steps. It was clear from these consultations that a committee of youth workers was required to ensure the inclusivity of the association.
Youth Action produced the Snapshot 2020: State of the NSW Youth Sector report. This report was a mapping exercise of the youth sector in NSW, to be compared with the previous one in 2011. In this report, 88% of respondents reported the need for a professional association.
