Youth Work and Economic Inclusion: The YouthStart Formula for Success

In Northern Ireland, where youth unemployment rates remain stubbornly higher than those of other age groups and economic inactivity among young people continues to present challenges, the YouthStart partnership has developed an innovative approach that has demonstrated remarkable success in transforming the lives of those furthest from the labour market.

Traditional employability programmes often struggle to engage and retain young people who face complex educational, training, and employment barriers. YouthStart, through its distinctive youth work approach, has engaged these young people and helped them progress into meaningful pathways of education, training, and employment at rates that exceed targets and expectations.

The Evidence of Impact

Over two years, the YouthStart consortium has achieved extraordinary results:

2,387 young people engaged and supported across the seven partner organisations (exceeding the target of 2,278 by 109)
513 young people progressed into work (exceeding the target of 326 by 187)
1,005 young people progressed into further training or education (exceeding the target of 714 by 291)

In total, 1,518 young people progressed into work or further education/training, representing a remarkable 64% progression rate from the participants. These figures demonstrate significantly stronger results than typical mainstream provision success rates for similar demographics.

But what lies behind these impressive numbers? Youthstart’s external evaluation identified five key pillars that form a formula for success in helping young people overcome barriers and progress toward economic inclusion.

The Five Pillars of Success

1. The Distinctive Youth Work Approach

The heart of YouthStart’s success is the distinctive youth work methodology employed by all seven partner organisations. This approach includes:

Youth work recruitment methods that effectively reach young people who are disconnected from mainstream services
The significance of the youth worker-young person relationship as a foundation for change
A holistic approach that sees the whole person, recognising both challenges and strengths
A range of flexible support measures from one-to-one mentoring to group activities

As one participant explained: “It felt like an open space to ask questions because you didn’t feel that stiffness of a classroom environment.”

Youth workers have specialised skills in connecting with young people who don’t access or have negative experiences with mainstream provision or education. This connection creates a safe space that is fundamental to engagement and progress.

“My initial impression was friendly… I remember the first time I walked through the door, the youth worker asked me who I was,” shared one young person, highlighting the importance of that initial welcome and relationship-building approach.

2. Flexibility and Adaptability in Programme Delivery

The YouthStart model recognises that young people furthest from the labour market often have complex and fluctuating needs that don’t fit neatly into rigid programme structures. The flexibility to adapt delivery approaches and respond to individual circumstances has been crucial to success.

This includes:

Customised learning pathways based on individual interests and aspirations
Flexibility in attendance and engagement patterns to accommodate personal circumstances
Ability to blend different types of support from practical assistance to emotional well-being
Responsiveness to changing needs throughout a young person’s journey

One young woman noted: “The support and continued encouragement I got with applying for jobs and preparing for the interviews broke down some fears that I had about getting a job, particularly my fears of failure or not being able to do the job.”

3. Youth-Led Approaches: Ownership and Empowerment

A fundamental principle of youth work is empowering young people to shape their own experiences. YouthStart puts this into practice by:

Involving young people in designing their own learning and development plans
Creating genuine opportunities for input into programme activities
Valuing young people as assets with talents and skills to contribute
Building decision-making capacity through gradually increasing responsibility

“We got to decide what was in our programme. We got to take initiative and decide what we wanted to do,” explained one participant, highlighting how this ownership led to greater engagement and commitment.

The evaluation found that youth-led approaches resulted in “full ‘buy in’ from participants and contributed hugely to the successful outcomes for each young person.” Youth workers are skilled evaluators who actively encourage feedback to adapt and improve programming.

4. Building Key ‘Soft Skills’ as Critical Foundations

While many employment programmes focus primarily on technical skills and qualifications, YouthStart recognizes that for many disadvantaged young people, the development of foundational ‘soft skills’ is a crucial first step:

Confidence and self-belief
Mental health and wellbeing
Resilience and ability to handle setbacks
Communication and interpersonal skills
Self-management and organization

“I’ve been inspired to love life again,” shared one young person, reflecting the transformative impact of these foundational skills.

Another participant explained: “You start to believe in yourself again!” highlighting how self-belief forms the foundation upon which other skills can be built.

These soft skills, which participants and youth workers identify as critical building blocks, support subsequent development of learning and technical work skills. The YouthStart approach demonstrates that addressing these foundational elements first creates more sustainable progression pathways.

5. Clear Targets with Minimal Administrative Burden

The fifth pillar of success identified in the YouthStart evaluation was the programme’s approach to measurement and administration:

Clear targets providing focus without excessive paperwork
Low administrative burden allowing youth workers to concentrate on direct support
Supportive funding relationship fostering innovation and responsiveness
Regular but proportionate monitoring ensuring accountability and learning

Project partners reported that “the clear targets set and the low level of administration required for reporting to the funder allowed them to focus on delivering the programmes,” a crucial factor in enabling staff to maximize direct work with young people.

Building Pathways to Economic Inclusion

The YouthStart formula transforms the lives of young people who have often been written off by mainstream systems. By combining these five pillars, YouthStart creates effective pathways to economic inclusion for those facing the greatest barriers.

Consider Corin’s journey: Having left school without completing GCSEs, living in a disadvantaged rural area with limited opportunities, he joined YouthStart seeking a way forward. Through youth work approaches that valued his contributions and built on his strengths, he gained qualifications, volunteer experience, and eventually secured employment as a peer educator. “YouthStart has empowered and inspired me to become a leader,” he reflects.

Or Adam, who was struggling with an emotionally abusive relationship, unemployment, and deteriorating mental health. The one-to-one support from his youth worker, including regular “walk and talk” sessions and practical assistance, helped him build confidence and gain hospitality training. Adam successfully secured employment with Haven Holiday Park in Wales, completely transforming his life circumstances. He now has his own apartment, financial independence, and a positive outlook: “YouthStart was life changing for me. I am happy, content, and have a reason to get up every morning.”

The Partnership Advantage

The YouthStart consortium brings together seven leading youth work organizations: YouthAction NI (lead partner), The Bytes Project, Northern Ireland Youth Forum, The Prince’s Trust, Springboard Opportunities, Include Youth, and Start360. This partnership approach multiplies impact through:

Shared ethos and value base built on trust and belief in young people
Combined expertise and specialisms enhancing support options
Strong governance and quality assurance systems
Geographical reach across Northern Ireland
Value for money through shared resources and collaborative approaches

The partnership delivered excellent value for money, with the initial pilot achieving a unit cost of £2,111 per participant—well below the projected cost of £2,500.

Implications for Future Investment

As Northern Ireland shapes its skills strategy and determines priorities for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the YouthStart formula offers compelling evidence for investing in youth work approaches to economic inclusion. The model demonstrates that even the most disengaged young people can find pathways to employment, education, and a more positive future with the right approach.

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