Time for a historic investment in young people

Youth Affairs Council Victoria CEO Katherine Ellis explains why youth work matters and why it must be funded.

During my twenty years in the youth sector, I have heard many stories from young people, of trauma, challenge and confusion. 

I have also seen brilliance, humour and determination in the face of difficulties, and young people step up in amazing and literally awesome ways.

I have had the privilege of seeing first-hand the impact that youth workers and youth services can have on young people, especially those who don’t get the support or understanding they need from other adults in their lives, and those who face discrimination and marginalisation in our society.

A youth worker who builds trust and rapport with a ‘bully’, and discovers he is replicating the violence he is experiencing at the hands of his own father and older brothers. A youth worker who finds out that a ‘disengaged’ young person is passionate about cutting hair, and helps him onto a path to become a barber.  A youth worker who is providing homelessness support to a multicultural young woman and learns that she has run away from a violent boyfriend that her family didn’t know about.  A youth worker who has helped a young person with social anxiety to join a local community project and make friends.

Every young person deserves the support and opportunities to achieve what they want in life. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has slammed young people the hardest and highlighted the many serious gaps which already existed for young people across employment, education, mental health, housing and more.

That’s why now more than ever, youth work matters.

Youth work is a distinct discipline, unique from other professions that involve working with young people. It is a relational, empowering practice that maximises trust and minimises stigma, putting young people at the centre and working with them in their own context.

By providing strengths-based and holistic support to young people, underpinned by human rights and social justice, youth workers create a healthier, supportive and connected community for young people. This allows young people to deal with issues, and develop skills and capabilities to achieve their own goals.

Despite its important role, there is limited understanding in the wider community of the role and impact of youth work. Youth workers are also much more likely to champion young people than to talk about their own important contribution.

This contributes to chronic under-funding of youth services, and a lack of resources to support and develop the next generation. Funding is also usually short-term and project-based, which makes it more difficult to build trusted relationships and rapport.

The youth sector knows we make a big difference in young people’s lives.  And now we have the numbers to back that up.

Deloitte’s social return on investment analysis, commissioned by Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic), has found a return of at least $2.62 for every $1 invested in youth work programs in Victoria.

It is clear that youth work improves young people’s lives. When young people receive support before their problems become critical and entrenched, and are helped to connect with their community  and pursue their goals, it is better for their social, health and economic outcomes, and for the government’s bottom line. 

No matter what the challenges are – homelessness, mental ill-health, family violence, unemployment or discrimination – youth workers can provide early intervention and specialised support to turn young people’s lives around. 

Youth workers are also experts at meaningfully involving young people and their lived experience.  Young people’s unique perspectives and uninhibited creativity can find new solutions to old problems, so they are not repeated again and again by our support systems.

It’s time for a historic investment in young people.