A recent webinar hosted by Carole Pugh from York St John University and Charlee Bewsher from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Youth Work Unit has explored the critical role of youth work in preparing young people for political citizenship as the roll out of Votes at 16 is developed.
This one-off event was specifically designed to influence policy makers during this crucial period of democratic reform.
Key Focus Areas
The webinar highlighted important research findings about youth work’s unique contribution to democratic education. With approximately 4.4 million young people engaging in youth work activities each year, many from under-resourced areas who are less likely to vote or participate in formal citizenship lessons, the session made a compelling case for integrating youth work into Votes at 16 implementation strategies.
The presentation demonstrated how youth work equips young people for political citizenship and emphasised the need for an integrated approach that values youth work’s distinctive ability to support political socialisation alongside formal citizenship education.
Barriers and Recommendations
The webinar also examined current barriers that limit youth work’s capacity in this area and outlined practical recommendations to advance the democratic potential of youth work practice.
Following the main presentation, former Y-PERN Chief Policy Fellow and now Cross-Programme Lead for Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) Dr Andrew Mycock and Charlee Bewsher provided responses to the research findings.
