By Dr Robyn Broadbent

Recently the YACVIC Forum on Youth Work have posed the question around the need for a Youth Work Definition.  Some seemed to be unaware of the previous work and the work of others on this topic. If we lose our history we are destined to keep repeating the same work. When we look at where we have come from we can redefine, critique and grow from the foundations that have been established.

Currently, the Commonwealth Youth Worker Alliance has produced a Global Definitions document which includes the AYAC definition. It evidences the commonality we share with many with regards to defining Youth Work. This document found here includes both the AYAC definition and the Commonwealth Youth Program definition.

However, our starting point could be the body of knowledge that has been developed on defining Youth Work in Australia. This presentation that I delivered to the AYAC conference outlines that history including the research done by myself and Tim Corney in 2013.  Is it definitive, of course not, as we grow as a profession then we must evolve our parameters. That is a much stronger position to be in than starting at the beginning and effectively wiping away our rich history.  If you run the ppt show it will scroll through the national consultations, the opinions of Youth Workers from around Australia and in particular in Victoria on the key tenets of Youth Work.