The new £3.8 million project, launched by the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC), is being delivered by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).
The Third Sector Capacity Building project will provide paid and voluntary staff with access to 25,000 tailor-made development and training opportunities.
An estimated 70% of all work with young people is provided by the third sector, but funding and delivery of training for front-line workers varies greatly. This project will allow thousands of people working in the third sector to undertake a core level of training, ensuring that whatever organisation a worker is from, young people will find the support they need to reach their full potential.
Third Sector Capacity Building forms part of the Young People's Workforce Reform Programme - a set of initiatives designed to develop the skills of the six million strong young people's workforce.
The training has been devised in partnership with the third sector to identify what skills are required across the whole workforce. A ‘Training the Trainer' course will be delivered to ensure that training delivers agreed learning outcomes in five priority areas:
- Facilitating learning and development of young people
- Safeguarding the health and welfare of young people
- Maintaining health and safety in the workplace
- Promoting access to information and support
- Promoting equality and the valuing of diversity
Developed by and led by the third sector, the training courses will be available from May across all nine government regions in England.
Deirdre Quill, director of Integrated Workforce at the Children's Workforce Development Council, said: "Whether we work in charities, schools, health care or the justice sector, we all want to ensure that this is the best country in the world in which children and young people can grow up. Third-sector workers, whether they are paid or volunteers, are a vital part of the workforce that helps young people reach their full potential.
"Today's fast-paced society brings new challenges for young people. Developing the skills and confidence of all members of our workforce will ensure that young people receive the right support and guidance to manage the transition from adolescence to adulthood."
The Young People's Workforce Reform Programme aims to bring new confidence, unity and enhanced skills to the diverse range of professions that work with young people. Following the Government's vision outlined in Aiming High for Young People and 2020 Children and Young People's Workforce strategies, the programme has been developed after months of careful consultation with young people themselves. The three core strands of the programme are to strengthen leadership and management, support the contribution made by the third sector, and develop a common set of skills and competences for the entire workforce.
