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Look What’s New – Level 4 Certificate in Professional Development (Youth Work)

27 January 2023

This Ofqual-regulated qualification, launched by the National Youth Agency (NYA), has been developed to help individuals working in a Youth Work environment to build skills in specialist areas within this sector.

The qualification reflects the NYA’s five-year Workforce Development Strategy, in particular its aim to develop further training and resources for youth organisations and partner sectors to help youth work and allied sectors work together more effectively to benefit the young people they serve. 

 Group of learners

So if your centre supports learners who are involved in multi-agency work, looking to improve collaborative working with social workers, the police, emergency services, teachers and those who work within the youth service (etc), this qualification will enable them to enhance their youth work skills and knowledge to a higher level and help them to forge more effective relationships with allied professionals.

This qualification has been developed by the NYA, Education Training Standards (ETS) Wales and Education Training Standards (ETS) England in partnership with a group of awarding bodies and awarding organisations across England and Wales to reflect the latest developments in the Youth Work Sector.

Learning outcomes

By studying this qualification, learners will have:

  • Undertaken the Introduction to Professional Development (Youth Work) unit
  • Selected two further units from Learners then at least two further units from a menu of 23, covering themes such as:
  • Trauma Informed Practice
  • Gender Identity
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing
  • Race and Racism
  • Disability
  • Faith
  • Violence, Gangs and Exploitation
  • Digital Youth Work
  • Leadership and Management in Youth Work
  • Participation and Democracy

There are also units relating to youth work in different settings such as:

  • Children’s Social Care
  • Formal Education
  • Youth Justice
  • Social Work
  • The Secure Estate

Learners also have the opportunity to:

  • Study units on Critical Youth Work Practice (Exploring/ Opening up Gendered Worlds) considering gender vocabulary
  • Have the opportunity to investigate gender related issues.

AIM centres looking to add this qualification to their existing portfolio should contact their Centre Lead for further details or follow this link to the Qualification Specification.

This new qualification complements our existing suite of Youth Work qualifications, designed to help learners prepare to work or volunteer with young people aged 11-25, through non-formal educational activities incorporating enjoyment, challenge and learning.

Our suite of Youth Work qualifications consist of:

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