Professionalisation of Youth Work

Western Australian Youth Work has been at the forefront of the professionalisation debate for a number of years and the creation of the Western Australian Association of Youth Workers is not an exception. Fundamentally, professionalisation is a process of the youth work profession organising to decide what the boundaries of the profession are. Ethical responsibilities, minimum standards for training and clarifying the role of the youth worker are all part of this. The goal of professionalisation is to ensure that all young people who come into contact with youth workers have a guarantee of consistent, skilled, reflective, ethical practice.

It is a movement that is now happening across the country, Victoria has created a working group to look at the idea of creating a professional association, the ACT and New South Wales are both solidifying their codes of ethical practice. With all of this happening a number of commentators have put forward discussions on the pros and cons of professionalisation. A number of their articles appear here.

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