Children And Youth Work Act 2001: Mission Statement Of Youth Reach

According to the department of Children and Youth Affairs youth work is defined as follows under the Youth Work Act 2001:
“A planned programme of education designed for the purpose of aiding and enhancing the personal and social development of young persons through their voluntary participation, and which is complementary to their formal, academic or vocational education and training; and provided primarily by voluntary youth work organisations.” (Youth Work Act, 2001)
Youth Reach has a mission statement which is clearly underpinned by the definition of youth work and strives to achieve similar goals. Their mission statement is as follows:
“To provide an educational programme that develops young people academically, personally and socially
in a safe, enjoyable and supportive learning environment” (Curtis, 2015)
According to YouthReach.ie ‘the programme focuses on the holistic development of the individual. Participants are facilitated in setting personal and educational goals that increase their self-esteem, skill and knowledge base and employability’ (Youthreach.ie, 2014) All students attending the centre are out of main stream school and this is a second chance at education for them. The centre offers QQI levels 2, 3 and 4. It also offers FETAC level 3 and 4. (Curtis, 2015) According to Youth.ie, ‘53% of early school leavers will continue their education in facilities such as Youthreach.’ (Youth.ie, 2012) A document issued by Youth.ie said of early school leavers that ‘there is a real risk of long-term socio-economic disadvantage for an early school leaver. For many, leaving school early will lead to narrower employment opportunities and an increased likelihood of poverty and unemployment.’ (Youth.ie, 2012) Youth Reach are intervening in young people’s lives and directing them towards advancement and improvement. The importance of education cannot be underestimated nor can the opportunities it can bring. Giving young people a second chance at education is vital and can change their lives for the better. Education can empower people. Within society a lack of education can leave people at a disadvantage ‘Education is a crucial mechanism of social exclusion because of the role it plays in the status attainment process and reward structure of Irish society’ (Fanning, 2004, p55 cited in McDonald, 2014, p126)
Education is key tool in terms of social mobility.
‘Social mobility refers to the movement of people between different levels of the class structure from one occupational group to another’ (IPA, 1992 cited in McDonald, 2014, p107) Youth Reach is giving young people the opportunity and the power to change their lives. By enabling them to increase their educational attainment Youth Reach is giving the young people a chance to better their future. The young people are then in a position to complete any qualifications they may have missed, such as junior or leaving certificate, go on to further education such as Post-Leaving cert. courses, apprenticeships and eventually apply for jobs. ‘Our achievements or otherwise in the formal education system play a key role in determining our life chances thereafter. This is why equality or, more precisely, equality of opportunity is highly valued in education policy.’ (Considine and Dukelow, 2009, p287) ‘Conflict theorists argue that schools routinely tailor education according to students’ social background, thereby perpetuating social inequality.’ (Macionis and Plummer, 1998, p539) ‘Educational disadvantage is strongly related to poverty, as students from lower social class groups are more likely to be at a disadvantage in terms of participation and achievement in the education system.’(Kelleghan et al. 1995; NESF, 2002b, CPA, 2003 as cited in Considine et al, 2009,
p319)
The majority of students attending Youth reach are aged between 15 and 17, the age bracket they work with is 15 to 20 year olds. (Curtis, 2015) The ages the young people are at is a very important developmental stage in their lives. Most of the young people at this stage are going through adolescence. ‘Adolescence is the period of development and gradual transition between childhood and adulthood’ (Passer, Smith, Holt, Bremner, Sutherland, Vliek , 2009, p585) By the centre intervening at this crucial stage of their lives they can influence the decisions the young people are making and aim to help them make positive decisions. This can be done through education and the safe, enjoyable and supportive environment mentioned in the mission statement. The intervention with these young people now aims to prevent or minimise the need for further care at a later stage in their lives. ‘Education in countries like the UK has reflected stratification in quality of provision both for individuals and for people of different social classes.’ (Mackinnon, 1996, p173 as cited in Macionis and Plummer, 1998, p539)
Youth Reach does not only focus on academic learning but also practical learning including outdoor activities, drug awareness programmes and personal development. It also places emphasis on life skills such as cooking healthy food, and attending class on time as well as soft skills such as making eye contact and saying hello when you meet someone. Importantly it also offers ‘guidance, counselling and support to those students whom require it.’(Curtis, 2015) These facilities are of vital importance as the rise in mental health issues in youth’s increases. According to a survey by the Royal College of Surgeons states that ‘high numbers of teenagers and young adults in Ireland are experiencing mental ill-health at any given time.’ (RCSI.ie, 2013)
Additionally there is ‘evidence showing that young people who experience mental ill-health during adolescence have higher rates of mental disorders and substance misuse during their young adult years and are three times more likely to be unemployed than young adults who did not experience mental ill-health during their adolescence.’ (RCSI.ie, 2013) This reinforces the importance of facilities such as Youth Reach at this stage in a young person’s life.
While listening to Paul Curtis talk about the work he does with the young people in his centre it really resonated with me how privileged we are to be in education and how much we take for granted.
Paul spoke with enthusiasm and passion. He strongly believed in the programme he was providing and the benefits it would have on the young people’s lives. The aim was clear, to enable the young people to develop academically, personally and socially (Curtis, 2015) and go into the world with skills needed to be a functioning member of society. The talk entirely changed my opinion of working with young people. I had ruled out working with youths as an area of interest in my career however now I can see the positive change youth work makes and the significance it has on a young person’s life. Youth reach is helping younger generations have a brighter and better future within our society rather than being pushed out to the
periphery.