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This is an important message regarding Youth Work Week, Ellie Parker has been working hard (in such a short space of time!) to create a resource pack for the whole youth work sector, to make it easy for you to share your stories and get involved online during Youth Work Week. All the information is below, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with ellie@cwvys.org.uk

For convenience here you can find;

• Pdf files showing the contents of the pack; Youth Work Week samples
• A PowerPoint presentation with ideas and background information.
• Follow this link https://bit.ly/3w3Ozeo to the editable version of the graphics, available on Canva, feel free to download and add in your own relevant text and images.

 

 

Some words from Ellie;

Are you ready for Youth Work Week?

Youth Work Week is an annual celebration of youth work across Wales. It’s an opportunity for young people, youth workers, and youth work organisations to reflect on the challenges and celebrate the positive outcomes of the last 12 months.

This year, we’ll be highlighting the innovation, resilience and resourcefulness that the sector has shown during an exceptionally difficult year.

Through the theme ‘Expressive’ we will aim to highlight how youth work provides opportunities for learning that encourage and enable young people to express their ideas, opinions, emotions and aspirations through a range of creative and challenging opportunities. We’ll be celebrating the benefits that young people gain from their engagement with youth work services, particularly around issues of identity, self-expression and confidence.

We would like to see lots of best practice examples of youth work from across Wales and we would like young people to take this opportunity to express their ideas and views on topics or issues that have an impact on their lives.

It’s really easy to get involved!

The week runs from 23^rd-30^th June and we’d like to see social media platforms flooded with your inspiring stories, using the hashtag #ThisIsYouthWork

We have created a communications pack to help you (it contains bilingual graphics/banners and sample content for social media that you can customise to suit your organisation).

Each day of the week is a chance to highlight achievements and outcomes that show the benefits that youth work creates for young people. Each day is also a chance to say thank you and recognise the huge contribution that all those working in youth work services have made to young people and communities.

Here are just a few ways you might consider getting involved:

1. Share photographs* – remember to capture memories and share experiences, whatever you have planned during Youth Work Week! Take plenty of photos to share on your social media channels (and please don’t forget to tag us @YWWales and @cwvys)!
2. Create a video for social media* – consider using your phone to capture and share footage of activities you are involved in during the week or ask people for their views on what #ThisIsYouthWork means to them.
3. Provide a short case study* to illustrate the #ThisIsYouthWork campaign – whether you are a youth worker, a parent or a young person, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch with ellie@cwvys.org.uk if you would like support with developing and writing your case study.
4. Follow us on @YWWales for news, to find out what’s on and to share your stories using #ThisIsYouthWork.

There are so many wonderful stories from youth work to celebrate – let’s make sure we share them and do our best to give young people in Wales and all those who support them the recognition they deserve.

* Please ensure you check you have the relevant permissions when sharing photos or videos online and it’s a good idea to avoid mentioning full names or including any information that could reveal the person’s identity. Top tip – if in doubt, don’t post it!

The second Welsh Youth Parliament election campaign has launched today (the 3rd of June 2021)!

Voter registration is open, and youth organisations are encouraged to apply to become official Welsh Youth Parliament partner organisations for the new term.
You can find a timeline of key dates as well of other important information about the Welsh Youth Parliament in this  Letter to Stakeholders

It would be brilliant if youth work organisations and those working with young people could get the message out far and wide. Perhaps CWVYS members would be interested in registering as partner organisations? You can find out how by clicking on this link; Become a partner organisation (senedd.wales)

The opportunity to be part of the Welsh Youth Parliament will be available to all young people between the age of 11 (by the 31 August, 2021) and up to 17 years old during the 01 – 22 November election 2021. You can find out more about it here; Welsh Youth Parliament (senedd.wales)

Youth Work Summary table of restrictions at each alert level;

The table in this RAG Guidance document has been developed by the Youth Work Sector to support the delivery of Youth Work provision to young people in Wales at each alert level

The current alert level for Wales can be found here – https://gov.wales/coronavirus

At all alert levels, the latest Welsh Government guidance must be followed – https://gov.wales/coronavirus

Youth work guidance can be found here – https://gov.wales/youth-work-services-guidance-coronavirus

Guidance to reduce the risk to minimise risk exposure https://gov.wales/taking-all-reasonable-measures-minimise-risk-exposure-coronavirus-workplaces-and-premises-open

The table provides examples of what types of youth work could be appropriate at each alert level and is based on the Welsh Government Coronavirus Control Plan https://gov.wales/coronavirus-control-plan-revised-alert-levels-wales-march-2021

Produced by CWVYS with input from David Williams, Chair of the PYOG, and with advice from Welsh Government

 

The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on additional guidance for the new Curriculum for Wales.

The eight-week consultation includes further draft guidance and a code for teaching of Relationships and Sexuality Education and Religion, Values and Ethics.

Links to the consultation documents:

English: https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/consultations-on-additional-curriculum-for-wales-guidance

The following eight areas are now open for consultation:

• Relationships and Sexuality Education guidance and Code
• Religion Values and Ethics
• Careers and Work-Related Experiences
• Enabling Pathways
• Revisions to the Cross Curricular Skills Frameworks
• A curriculum for non-maintained settings to adopt
• Draft Progression Code
• Draft Statements of What Matters Code

Fantastic news to share this week from CWVYS members Urdd Gobaith Cymru, they’re recruiting for 60 jobs across Wales! The details can be found here; https://www.urdd.cymru/en/current-vacancies/

You can also find information on their social media pages, you’re very welcome to share;

https://twitter.com/urdd

https://www.facebook.com/urddgobaithcymru/

The Youth Community and Playwork Team at Addysg Oedolion Cymru / Adult Learning Wales is recruiting for Part Time Associate Tutors to teach on the Youth Support Worker Qualifications.  They deliver these qualifications to youth workers across Wales.  There is a good demand for their courses and there is a need to expand the pool of part time tutors.

To apply you will need to be Professionally Qualified Youth Worker to Level 6 and have a minimum Teaching Qualification at Level 3.  On average, tutors teach 1 course a term in addition to their main youth work post.  There are options to teach more.

All course materials have been written and approved.  Tutors will need to plan delivery and assess learning.  If your application is successful, you will join the Youth Community and Playwork Team of Tutors and Addysg Oedolion Cymru / Adult Learning Wales Tutors.  You will be supported to attend termly Youth Community and Playwork Tutor meetings and training opportunities.

If you are interested, you can download and complete this application pack.  If you would like to discuss this further, please contact; recruitment@adultlearning.wales

The Welsh Government has issued a written statement with coverage in the media on the latest easing of restrictions;

 https://gov.wales/covid-19-restriction-relaxations-wales-brought-forward?_ga=2.33561576.815046516.1617956224-1207488457.1611216949

We understand that Wales will be moving into Alert Level 3 on May 17th  –https://gov.wales/moving-wales-alert-level-3-first-minister-sets-out-plans-further-relax-covid-restrictions

We are in dialogue with Welsh Government with matters members have raised with us concerning youth work provision and COVID restrictions.

We are awaiting a release date of the revised version of the youth work COVID guidance.

As soon as we receive an update we will share this with you

Welch Government Covid19 Guidance –https://gov.wales/coronavirus

Thank you catrin@cwvys.org.uk

CWVYS are looking for a Marketing & Communications Officer to work on behalf of the entire youth work sector in Wales.

We are looking for a creative and skilled person who will lead on delivering a step-change in support of the marketing and communications needs of the whole youth work services sector.

Applicants are invited to register initial interest in this position by e-mailing paul@cwvys.org.uk . A copy of the job description/person specification and application form will then be e-mailed in return.

When completing the application form, candidates will be expected to indicate and to prove how their experience and skills match the requirements of the role as outlined in the job description and person specification.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 10.00am on 14th April 2021.

You can find more information in this document.

This week the Welsh Government published their Youth Work Newsletter, on the subject of Democratic Engagement.

Here’s the link to the latest edition.

A number of CWVYS members contributed, and there are some lovely features in there from the statutory youth sector too. Thank you to everyone who sent in content to be featured. It is the second issue that CWVYS supported the Youth Engagement team in gathering content and editing it, going forward if you want to contribute to the next newsletter you can email  youthwork@gov.wales

If you’d like to receive future issues directly, you can subscribe here.

As a response to the Coronavirus crisis and the nationwide lockdown in March 2020 we surveyed our
Members in May 2020 and released a report in June of that year, to assess and report on the impact
of the pandemic on the voluntary youth work sector in Wales.

That report was shared widely and together with our Members we engaged with the Welsh
Government in providing specific Coronavirus guidelines for operating youth services safely in
August 2020. As summer became Autumn and Winter and Wales entered and came out of another
brief lockdown in November 2020, we decided to survey our Membership again, to gauge the mood
and ongoing impact of the pandemic on the voluntary youth sector in Wales.

Here you can find our report, presenting the results of our latest survey, which was open from November 2020 to January 2021. Thank you to everyone who contributed to it.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) National education workforce survey for Wales is currently open.

The survey will be closing on the 9th of April 2021.

After completing the survey, EWC would be grateful for your support in promoting the survey so that other practitioners have an opportunity to have their say. Here is the link; https://www.ewc.wales/aga-ews/index.php/en/

If you have any queries at all about the survey please do not hesitate to contact the EWC, they thank you in advance for your support.

“Encouraging and supporting young people to become partners in, and share responsibility for, the opportunities, learning processes and decision-making structures which affect their own and other people’s lives and environments” is one of the Principles and Purposes of Youth Work in Wales.

Here, CWVYS members miFuture share an insight into the process that lead to their creation, and the importance of good participation.

Background

miFuture makes the careers process fit for Generation Z, by simplifying the way school leavers and the organisations that want young talent connect. They saw no value in duplicating existing platforms which did not cater to school leavers for whom university is not a priority.

miFuture was co-created with 2500 school leavers in RCT, Caerphilly and Cardiff, here’s a little snapshot of that process and why good participation is key to solving issues successfully, in the words of founder and CEO Gemma Hallet;

The problem: School leavers going to university have UCAS and UniFrog to support seamless transition, those not going to university are pretty much left to it. I wanted to fix that.

The solution: I initially went to young people with a ‘Facebook for careers’ style platform, which would house loads of resources and activities etc. Something a teacher would benefit from, not what excites a digital native school leaver that does everything on their smartphone.

The realisation: I soon realised that even though they were excited that we were solving the problem and resonated with our ‘why’, the solution wasn’t appealing. Just another over engineered approach forced upon them (top down approach).

The pivot: I realised that if I didn’t start over with young people leading the way on what the solution would be, it will never make the impact I’d want it to make. Technology was developing rapidly and we moved quickly from version one an Online Dashboard, to version 2  an online dashboard supported by an app, to our product now which scrapped the whole online presence and launched a native app that is personally curated and has similar functions to dating app models. All driven and functionality now created by school leavers for school leavers.

The future: School leavers feedback and concern for the future sees us now exploring new ground and pushing innovation, in the form of AI powered interview preparation and digital Skill Bursts – nudging young people towards-better skilled higher-paid futures.

The result: A solution co-created with school leavers for school leavers, where our audience was not just represented but were leaders at each stage of our build and growth.

To learn more, visit https://www.mifuture.co.uk/