The Four-Strand Model: Youth Work’s Place in Northern Ireland’s Skills Ecosystem

Northern Ireland’s approach to skills development has traditionally been built around three key strands: schools, further education colleges, and training organisations. However, this model leaves significant gaps, particularly for young people who have disengaged from mainstream education or face complex barriers to participation. This article argues for the formal recognition of youth work as a vital fourth strand in Northern Ireland’s skills ecosystem, examining its distinctive contribution and the evidence for its effectiveness.

While these strands effectively serve many young people, they share certain characteristics that can create barriers for the most vulnerable:

Formal entry requirements that can exclude those with limited qualifications
Structured learning environments that may not suit different learning styles
Limited flexibility to address non-educational barriers
Focus on standardised outcomes and qualifications
Time-bound programmes with set start and end dates

The Gap in Provision

The limitations of the traditional three-strand model are evident in Northern Ireland’s skills performance statistics:

27% economic inactivity rate—the highest in the UK
17,000 young people aged 16-24 who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training)
11,000 of these young people economically inactive (not looking for work and/or not available to start)
Significant disparities in educational attainment linked to socioeconomic background
Persistent skills gaps reported by employers

These figures indicate that despite the strengths of the existing system, a significant portion of young people are not being effectively engaged and supported toward employment and skills development.

Youth Work: The Missing Strand

Youth work makes several distinctive contributions to the skills ecosystem:

1. Engagement of Those Beyond Mainstream Reach

Youth work methodologies have proven particularly effective at engaging young people who have disengaged from mainstream provision:

Building relationships with young people in their own communities and environments
Creating safe, non-stigmatising spaces for re-engagement with learning
Working with young people who have rejected or been excluded from formal education
Reaching young people with complex barriers through persistent, flexible approaches
Meeting young people “where they are” rather than requiring them to fit into predetermined structures

2. Holistic, Person-Centred Approaches

While traditional strands primarily focus on educational and vocational outcomes, youth work takes a more holistic approach:

Addressing the full range of barriers to participation (housing, mental health, etc.)
Building foundational skills and capabilities before introducing formal learning
Adapting pace and content to individual needs and circumstances
Integrating personal development with skills development
Supporting young people to address complex life circumstances that impede learning

3. Flexible Learning Pathways

Youth work creates flexible pathways that can accommodate the complex lives of vulnerable young people:

No fixed entry or exit points, allowing engagement when young people are ready
Ability to pause and resume learning as circumstances change
Modular approaches that build incrementally toward qualifications
Recognition of small steps of progress and achievement
Smooth transitions between different types and levels of learning

4. Alternative Certification Routes

Youth work organisations have developed effective approaches to skills certification that complement mainstream qualifications:

OCN (Open College Network) qualifications that recognise applied learning
Youth Achievement Awards that capture broader personal development
Digital badges and micro-credentials for specific skills
Portfolios of evidence that demonstrate practical capabilities
Employer-endorsed skills passports

The contribution of youth work to Northern Ireland’s skills ecosystem is supported by substantial evidence:

YouthStart Outcomes

The YouthStart partnership demonstrates youth work’s effectiveness in skills development:

2,387 young people engaged and supported (exceeding the target of 2,278 by 109)
120 young people achieved a total of 202 qualifications in the initial pilot
1,005 young people progressed into further training or education (exceeding the target of 714 by 291)
513 young people progressed into work (exceeding the target of 326 by 187)
A 64% overall progression rate into either employment or education/training

These figures are particularly impressive given that YouthStart works with young people who often face the most complex barriers to participation.

Quality of Provision

The Education and Training Inspectorate’s evaluations of youth work provision have consistently highlighted their quality:

97% of ESF youth work projects rated as good or better
45% rated as outstanding
Specific strengths identified in engagement, personalisation, and progression support
Recognition of effectiveness with the most marginalised young people
Commendation of the holistic approach to addressing barriers

Cost-Effectiveness

Youth work approaches have demonstrated strong value for money:

YouthStart delivered at a unit cost of £2,111 per participant (below the projected £2,500)
ESF youth projects delivered at an average unit cost of £2,091 per participant (below the projected £3,500)
Strong progression outcomes relative to investment
Prevention of long-term costs associated with economic inactivity
Efficiency gains through partnership approaches

Case Studies: Complementary Provision

The complementary role of youth work in the skills ecosystem is illustrated through individual cases:

Lauren: Bridging to Further Education

Lauren had experienced significant disruption in her education due to family issues and mental health challenges, leading to a drug-induced psychosis and hospitalisation at age 17. Despite achieving some GCSEs while living with her aunt, her mental health deteriorated during A-levels, and she spent much of her time isolated in her room.

Through YouthStart, Lauren received intensive one-to-one support. The programme’s small group size and supportive environment enabled her to share her experiences and build confidence. “This is the first group I’ve been in where I’ve talked to people,” she explained. Lauren gained qualifications in Youth Work, First Aid, and Safeguarding.

Lauren is now building up volunteering experience and has started a course at a local FE college. The youth work approach provided the bridge she needed to re-engage with formal education, with her youth worker continuing to provide support during this transition..

The Four-Strand Model in Practice

A formally recognised four-strand model would strengthen Northern Ireland’s skills ecosystem through several practical mechanisms:

1. Clearer Progression Pathways

A four-strand model would create more coherent progression pathways:

Recognised routes between youth work provision and mainstream education/training
Smoother transitions through shared understanding of qualifications and achievements
Reduced duplication through clearer roles and responsibilities
More seamless support during transitions between strands
Enhanced tracking of individual journeys across the skills system

2. Strategic Collaboration

Formal recognition would enable more strategic collaboration:

Joint planning across all four strands to ensure comprehensive coverage
Shared targets for engagement and progression
Complementary rather than competitive approaches
Mutual recognition of qualifications and achievements
Combined outreach to those currently not reached by any strand

3. Aligned Investment

A four-strand model would support more coherent investment:

Recognition of youth work’s contribution in skills funding frameworks
Longer-term, more stable funding for youth work skills provision
Opportunities for cross-strand funding to support transitions
Shared outcome measures to drive collaborative working
Investment aligned to the distinctive contributions of each strand

4. Enhanced Employer Engagement

The four-strand approach would strengthen engagement with employers:

Coordinated employer engagement across all strands
Clearer messaging about the full range of skills development pathways
More diverse recruitment approaches reflecting different routes to skills development
Enhanced in-work support through continued youth work engagement
Broader recognition of non-traditional qualifications and achievements

Implementation Considerations

Policy Framework

Implementing a four-strand model would require several policy changes:

Formal recognition of youth work in the Northern Ireland Skills Strategy
Inclusion of youth work in the Department for Economy’s remit and funding structures
Clear definition of the distinctive and complementary role of each strand
Development of quality standards specific to youth work skills provision
Recognition of alternative qualification frameworks alongside mainstream certification

Delivery Infrastructure

The practical implementation would need:

A network of youth work organisations with skills development expertise
Shared information systems to support tracking and transitions
Strategic coordination mechanisms at local and regional levels
Skills-specific continuing professional development for youth workers
Enhanced data collection to evidence outcomes and impact

Funding Model

An effective four-strand approach would require:

Core funding for youth work skills provision alongside project funding
Multi-year funding cycles to enable strategic planning
Recognition of the higher unit costs of working with the most marginalised
Investment in partnership infrastructure to support cross-strand working
Simplified administrative processes appropriate to the youth work context

Recommendations

Based on the evidence presented, four key recommendations emerge:

1. Formal Recognition of Youth Work as a Fourth Strand

The Northern Ireland Skills Strategy and related policies should formally recognise youth work as a complementary fourth strand in the skills ecosystem, with a distinctive contribution particularly for those who face complex barriers to participation in mainstream provision.

2. Strategic Investment in Youth Work Skills Provision

Investment in skills development should include dedicated, sustainable funding for youth work approaches, recognising their demonstrated effectiveness with young people who have not engaged with or progressed through mainstream routes.

3. Development of a Four-Strand Collaboration Framework

A formal framework should be established to support collaboration across all four strands, including protocols for referral, information sharing, transition support, and joint planning to ensure comprehensive coverage across Northern Ireland.

4. Enhanced Recognition of Non-Traditional Skills Routes

Employers, educational institutions, and government departments should develop enhanced mechanisms to recognise and value skills and qualifications gained through youth work routes, ensuring that these are not seen as ‘lesser’ pathways but as legitimate alternative routes to skill development.

Conclusion: A Stronger Skills Ecosystem

Northern Ireland faces significant skills challenges that limit its economic performance and social wellbeing. The traditional three-strand model of skills development, while valuable for many, leaves gaps through which too many young people continue to fall.

By formally recognising youth work as a fourth strand in the skills ecosystem, Northern Ireland would create a more comprehensive and inclusive approach capable of reaching and supporting all young people, regardless of their circumstances or previous educational experiences.

The evidence from YouthStart and other youth work initiatives demonstrates the value and impact of this approach. With appropriate recognition, investment, and coordination, a four-strand model could significantly enhance Northern Ireland’s skills performance while ensuring that no young person is left behind in the journey toward a skilled, productive, and fulfilling future.

Looking to the Future: Recommendations for UKSPF

As the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) develops its strategy for supporting economic inclusion in Northern Ireland, YouthStart advocates for four key recommendations based on its evidence of impact:

Broad definition of economic inactivity – UKSPF should adopt an inclusive definition that encompasses those not in education, training, or employment, enabling more comprehensive support programmes.
Recognition of youth work as a key fourth strand—Youth work organisations should be formally recognised as a complementary strand alongside schools, colleges, and training organisations, particularly effective for the hardest-to-reach young people.
Defined relationships with Labour Market Partnerships – Clearer frameworks would enable youth work organisations to support councils in improving economic activity rates in their areas.
Regional and local delivery capacity—Maintaining the ability to work across Northern Ireland while providing locally tailored support ensures equal opportunities for all young people.

By incorporating these recommendations, the UKSPF can build on the proven success of the youth work approach pioneered by YouthStart, ensuring that young people furthest from the labour market are not left behind in Northern Ireland’s economic future.

The YouthStart model demonstrates that even the most disengaged young people can find pathways to employment, education, and a more positive future with the right approach. As one participant succinctly said, “This programme is a lifeline to young people. It has changed people’s lives.”

If you want to read more about Youth Start, review any of our partner’s sites:

Bytes Project: Programmes – Bytes
Include Youth: Programmes – Include Youth
NI Youth Forum: Youth Start – Northern Ireland Youth Forum
Springboard Opportunities: YouthStart • Springboard Opportunities
Start360: Start360 | Switch onto Employment
The King’s Trust: The King’s Trust in Northern Ireland | Where we work
YouthAction Northern Ireland: YouthAction Northern Ireland Get Set

Recommendations for Policymakers

To maximise youth work’s contribution to addressing Northern Ireland’s economic performance gap, policymakers should consider four key recommendations:

1. Adopt a Broad Definition of Economic Inactivity

UKSPF and other economic inclusion strategies should adopt an inclusive definition that encompasses those not in education, training, or employment, recognising the complex barriers those furthest from the labour market face. This will enable early intervention with at-risk young people and comprehensive support for those facing the greatest challenges.

2. Recognise Youth Work as a Key Fourth Strand

Youth work should be formally recognised as a complementary strand alongside schools, colleges, and training organisations in Northern Ireland’s skills system. The evidence demonstrates the particular effectiveness of youth work methodologies with young people who have disengaged from mainstream provision.

3. Define Relationships with Labour Market Partnerships

Clear frameworks should enable youth work organisations to support councils through Labour Market Partnerships, creating a more coherent landscape of provision that reduces duplication and service gaps.

4. Maintain Regional and Local Delivery Capacity

The ability to work across Northern Ireland while providing locally tailored support ensures equitable access for all young people regardless of location. The regional partnership model exemplified by YouthStart demonstrates how this balance can be achieved.

Conclusion: A Critical Economic Investment

Youth work is critical to addressing Northern Ireland’s economic performance gap. By reaching young people furthest from the labour market and creating sustainable pathways to economic participation, youth work approaches directly address one of the most persistent challenges in the Northern Ireland economy.

The evidence presented here demonstrates that youth work is not merely a social or community service but a vital economic intervention with significant returns on investment. Each young person moving from economic inactivity to participation represents a personal transformation and a substantial economic gain for Northern Ireland.

By recognising and investing in the economic contribution of youth work, policymakers can tackle one of the most stubborn aspects of Northern Ireland’s economic performance gap. The young people of Northern Ireland—particularly those facing the greatest barriers to economic participation—represent not a problem to be solved but an untapped resource of talent and potential that, with the proper support, can contribute to a more prosperous and inclusive economic future.

Looking to the Future: Recommendations for UKSPF

Broad definition of economic inactivity – UKSPF should adopt an inclusive definition that encompasses those not in education, training, or employment, enabling more comprehensive support programmes.
Recognition of youth work as a key fourth strand—Youth work organisations should be formally recognised as a complementary strand alongside schools, colleges, and training organisations, particularly effective for the hardest-to-reach young people.
Defined relationships with Labour Market Partnerships – Clearer frameworks would enable youth work organisations to support councils in improving economic activity rates in their areas.
Regional and local delivery capacity—Maintaining the ability to work across Northern Ireland while providing locally tailored support ensures equal opportunities for all young people.