To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) any actions his Department is taking to address recruitment and retention challenges in the youth sector, including (a) support for workforce development; (b) pay and conditions; (c) training pathways; and (ii) how these actions align with the objectives of Priorities for Youth.

Taking each of these matters in turn:

(i) Any actions to address recruitment and retention challenges in the youth sector, including:

(a) Support for workforce development

In 2023 the Education Authority (EA) implemented its Volunteer Development Strategy for 2023-2029 to develop and improve the recruitment and retention of volunteers in the youth work sector which has resulted in volunteer recruitment increasing from 18k in 2023 to 22k by 2025.

Since 2022 the EA has provided grant aid assistance to the community and voluntary sector through Regional Strategic Funding to support Regional Voluntary Youth Organisations/Headquarter Bodies to provide workforce development support to their member organisations based on their needs. In addition, the EA has provided bespoke grant aid assistance through Regional Development Funding to support Regional Voluntary Youth Organisations/Headquarter Bodies to provide accredited youth work training, including through the medium of Irish.

The Education Authority Regional Youth Development Plan 2026-2029 is committing to working in partnership across the youth work sector to develop and implement a workforce development strategy as part of the next planning period. This strategy and subsequent delivery plan will consider actions to address recruitment and retention, workforce development, training pathways underpinned by a sectoral training needs analysis.

(b) Pay and conditions

Pay & conditions are nationally agreed (UK wide) with Trade union side (TUS) through the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC). The EA is contractually obliged to apply annual agreements once adopted by JNC.

(c) Training pathways

Since 2019 the EA has funded university fees through the ‘Pathways into a professional career in youth work’ programme. This provides paid employment in a youth work role whilst undertaking either an undergraduate or post-graduate study to obtain their Professional JNC Youth Work Qualification.

(ii) How these actions align with the objectives of Priorities for Youth.

Delivery of previous and future actions related to workforce development is aligned the current policy priority “Development of the Non-Formal Education Workforce”, informed by assessed need and actions identified in the Regional Youth Development Plan.