Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an overview of the work of the Youth Board for Wales over the last five years?
Two separate Boards have been in place over the past five years to inform our work in relation to youth work in Wales.
The Interim Youth Work Board was established in October 2018. The culmination of its work was the publication of their final report, ‘Time to Deliver for young people in Wales’. This report included 14 recommendations all aimed at developing a sustainable delivery model for youth work in Wales.
The Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board was established in October 2022, tasked with providing advice and expertise to inform the development of those recommendations made by the Interim Youth Work Board. The term of the Board will conclude at the end of September 2025. Key developments during the term of the Board include the development of a draft statutory framework for youth work, a review of funding for youth work in Wales, strengthening legislation relating to registration of youth work practitioners as well as the establishment of a cross-sector workforce development programme. The Board has also been instrumental in informing the decision I announced in June that work will proceed to establish a national body for youth work. Further details on the Board’s discussions can be found at Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board | GOV.WALES.