Overview
Background
The P-21 Professional Youth Worker Credential (PYWC) is part of the Massachusetts statewide Pathways to Success by Twenty-One (P-21) Initiative. P-21 is a statewide effort to improve the future prospects for vulnerable youth ages 16-21 across Massachusetts – including those who are in school and those who are out-of-school and unemployed. The P-21 Initiative seeks to foster greater collaboration between state-level youth-serving agencies, while simultaneously helping local and regional youth-serving systems better coordinate services to vulnerable youth.
Commonwealth Corporation, with full support from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the P-21 Steering Committee, has created the P21 Professional Youth Worker Credential. This credential, being piloted in Hampden County, is a component of P21’s Unified Staff Development Strategy, which seeks to:
- Improve program quality by strengthening partnerships that increase smart use of resources within a region or community, and
- Develop the workforce through access to higher education, career advancement, and quality professional development for staff serving vulnerable youth
The PYWC Credential Model
The credential is designed to be a common, competency-based curriculum for youth workers who are committed to the field but do not have a higher education credential or certificate in a related field of study. This model combines 50 hours of workshops and two credit-bearing college courses. It is based on the foundational work of Achieve Boston, a collaborative whose mission is to help after-school and youth workers develop their professional skills and knowledge, advance their careers, and ultimately better serve children, youth, and families. The training and coursework total 130 hours of participation and it addresses competency areas for youth workers established through the Achieve Boston collaborative.
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The Pilot
All workshops and both college courses for the Hampden Pilot are being held at Holyoke Community College’s Kittredge Business Center. The Pilot is serving 24 participants (case workers, counselors, supervisors, etc.) from 12 local agencies who were selected based on their demonstrated commitment to the field of youth work, interest in obtaining a college degree, and desire to advance in the profession.
College courses, through Cambridge College, and training sessions, provided by local consultants, are held one morning per week. There is no charge to students or employers for classes (including books and fees) and trainings. Upon successful completion of the P21 PYWC pilot, participants will have received $1,000 in stipends provided by the Hampden County Regional Employment Board. Commonwealth Corporation has also contracted with a part-time Student Support Coordinator to assist participants, instructors, and participating agency leaders.
Project Coordination and Partnerships
Project oversight and coordination is provided by Commonwealth Corporation. The Medical Foundation is coordinating the instruction, the documentation of competencies, and on occasion, provides instruction. There is an ongoing local partner’s forum to assure that selected competencies and indicators are on target, are taught so that they address the actual work of those participating, and are supported by participant employers on the job. The Hampden Partners Group includes representatives from: Hampden County Regional Employment Board, MA Department of Youth Services, Career Point One Stop Career Center, FutureWorks One Stop Career Center, Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, and several WIA Youth providers.
Granting of the Credential
To successfully earn the credential, participants must: 1) finish training and coursework, 2) supply documentation of competency understanding and application, and 3) complete a demonstration project done at the worksite. A P-21 PYWC certificate from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and Commonwealth Corporation is presented to graduates.
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Potential for Expansion
Models such as the PYWC Pilot can provide valuable professional development, access to educational advancement and opportunities for professional advancement for staff engaged in youth work. The following statement was included in the recent report by the Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time:
“A comprehensive professional development system is needed that provides staff at all levels with a variety of accessible, high quality education and training options aligned with their needs.” “Career paths need to be more clearly articulated for those in the field so they can see where they are heading and how to get there.” Undoubtedly, staff are the most important determinate of program quality.”
The National Institute on Out- of-School Time Institute (NIOST) has produced a P-21 PYWC Pilot Interim Report. Their evaluation included the following results:
- The Pilot has brought new levels of partnership between organizations and agencies in the community.
- Employers report that staff are bringing new skills, energy, and strategies to their work with youth.
- The tools, activities and learning taking place in the classes has enabled staff to strengthen their relationships and understanding of youth in their programs.
With the current pilot well underway, there is considerable interest in launching additional, regional cohorts. Multi-partnering strategies to fund this work are being explored, as is collaboration with other credentialing programs.
Contact for more information:
Gregg McCutcheon,
Program Manager
Commonwealth Corporation
617-727-8158, ext 1309
gmccutcheon@commcorp.org
or visit our website: www.commcorp.org/p21/pywc-index.html
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