Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board meeting: 15 May 2025

• Sharon Lovell (SL) (Chair)
• Marco Gil-Cervantes (MG)
• Shahinoor Alom (SA)
• Deb Austin (DA)
• David Williams (DW)
• Sian Elen Tomos (ST)
• Lowri Jones (LJ)
• Simon Stewart (SS)
• Dyfan Evans, Head of Youth Engagement Branch, Welsh Government (DE)
• Dareth Edwards, Senior Youth Strategy Work Manager, Welsh Government (DaE)
• Victoria Allen, Senior Youth Work Strategy Manager, Welsh Government (VA)
• Tom Kitschker, Youth Engagement Branch Team Support Officer, Welsh Government (TK)
• Bethan Langmay, Welsh Government (BL)

Apologies

• Joanne Sims (JS)
• Jo Trott, Deputy Director of Learner Pathways, Welsh Government (JT)

Conflicts of interest

None declared.

The Board reviewed the minutes and action points from the last meeting held on 20 March 2025. Officials provided an update on action points.

Board members expressed their appreciation for ETS’s work, in collaboration with the Workforce Development IPG, to develop an action Plan. In relation to prioritisation, the Board felt that all objectives were important and invited ETS to work with the sector to shape the priorities.

Board members reflected on the need to focus on workforce retention and to address the apparent decline in the number of volunteers within the sector. Board members also underlined the importance of ensuring that opportunities for young people are shaped by them.

The ongoing disparity between access to funding amongst education professionals has prompted calls for greater equality. Therefore, Board members called for parity of access to the Professional Learning Entitlement to encourage people into the sector and for those practitioners operating as Youth Support Workers to professionally qualify and progress within their youth work career.

Officials’ proposal that ETS Wales are invited to develop an annual action plan for both 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 to address objectives set out in the overarching Workforce Development Plan was supported by Board members. ETS Wales will be invited to work with representatives across the sector to develop these actions plans and present to Welsh Government by the end of August 2025. Board members also recommended that ETS consider actions that may need to be undertaken beyond 2026 to 2027.

Action: Officials to invite ETS to develop annual action plans for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 to address the Workforce Development Plan’s objectives.

The Board discussed key milestones identified by officials to the end of the Board’s tenure in September 2025. Beyond this, Board members shared their concerns about the current lack of arrangements for engagement between Welsh Government and the youth work sector beyond this date and asked that officials proceed to establish appropriate arrangements as soon as possible.

The Board were also eager for an opportunity to gather representatives from across the youth work sector before the end of September to summarise what has been achieved during the Board’s tenure.

Board members discussed the current IPG structure, and what areas may need dedicated groups beyond September 2025. The Board will discuss this in more detail at their July meeting.

Action: Officials to consider the structure for ongoing engagement with the youth work sector beyond September 2025.

Action: Officials to look at arrangements for a potential cross-sector event in September 2025.

The Board thanked officials for a comprehensive report on the key risks and their mitigation. The discussion focused on continuity risks around handover and transition beyond the Board’s tenure.

Officials provided updates on work in relation to a statutory framework for youth work, the potential establishment of a national body for youth work as well as Youth Work Week. 

A separate meeting with also be arranged for Board members to discuss the ‘Young People are Thriving’s work regarding the development of a youth led governance structure for youth work in Wales.

The following topics were suggested by Board members for inclusion within the agenda for the Board’s next agenda on 10 July 2025:

• Transitional engagement arrangements beyond September 2025.
• Summarising key achievements during the Board’s tenure.