National Youth Agency · 2024
This report by the National Youth Agency profiles the youth work workforce in England, drawing on nearly 1,000 survey responses and eight focus groups conducted in late 2023 and early 2024. It finds the workforce is ageing, predominantly white and female, with 59% having worked in the sector for over 10 years and only 6% for less than one year. The report highlights a critical shortage of qualified youth workers amid rising demand — particularly around mental health and wellbeing support — driven by funding cuts, low salaries, and barriers to gaining professional qualifications. It makes a series of recommendations to government for rebuilding the workforce through a national strategy, apprenticeship reform, and investment in research.