Principal Features of the Youth Work Act 2001
Principal Features of the Youth Work Act 2001
The purpose of the Act is to provide a legal framework for the provision of youth work programmes and services by the Minister, the Vocational Education Committees (VECs) and by National and Regional Youth Organisations.
The principal features of the Act are:
- To define Youth Work in a clear and concise manner
- To detail policy, budget, research, monitoring and assessment function of the Minister for Education
- To define the function of Vocational Educational Committees regarding Youth Work, particularly the procedures, planning and prioritising of funds and the reporting on the provision of Youth Work programmes and services
- To establish a special Youth Work Committee in each VEC area
- To provide for the structure of the National Youth Work Advisory Committee
- To formalise the allocation of grants for Youth Work
- To establish Voluntary Youth Councils to represent the needs and demands of the voluntary sector at local level and
- The appointment of a National Assessor of Youth Work to ensure the best possible use of public money in youth work programmes and services.
The Act makes provision regarding VECs that:
- VECs must ensure that there is adequate provision of youth work programmes and services in co-ordination with voluntary youth organisations
- VECs will have to prepare a three year development plan for their administrative areas
- VECs will be able to grant, withdraw or reduce financial assistance to Youth Work Organisations
- VECs will be able to arrange for the provision of Youth Work programmes and services where they are not being provided.
