The Youth Services Workforce Crisis

Front-line youth-service workers cope the fallout of abuse, neglect, trauma, poverty and violence every day, working with high-risk young people to create environments that facilitate personal growth and achievement. Valued for their compassion and abilities in working with young people, skilled youth service workers create safe space and supervised activities, transfer practical resources and knowledge, and provide transformative opportunities for youth to find their own path and identity. The front-line youth service worker is critical in helping young people move from risk to resilience, from despair to hope. The success of youth serving organizations is due, in large part, to the effectiveness of their front-line workers.

Unfortunately, while demand for youth services is at an all-time high, youth-serving organizations are facing a critical shortage of skilled front-line workers. The dramatic shortage of new workers entering the field is compounded by high turnover among existing front-line staff, ineffective staff recruitment, low wages and poor benefits, few higher education programs focused on skill-building for youth service workers, and inadequate (and sometimes nonexistent) professional development. As a result, too many agencies operate in a crisis mode, without necessary resources and supports. Ultimately, the shortage of qualified personnel reduces the effectiveness and stability of youth service agencies. Numerous research studies and policy briefs have documented this problem. As noted in a 2005 report by the National Collaboration for Youth, "There is often a vast difference between what youth workers are asked to do and how well they are equipped for the task, with inadequate training, support, and program resources leading to increased levels of burnout and shortened tenure among staff."

The undeniable fact is this: the youth service workforce is a weakened and fragmented system, and it struggles meet the very real and critical needs of the young people and families in its care. Improving that system is PYWA's mission.