New youth work qualifications launched as part of drive to strengthen the workforce

The National Youth Agency (NYA) has announced a significant reform of youth work qualifications in England, aimed at creating clearer routes into the profession and strengthening the skills and capacity of the workforce.

A new Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Youth Support Work (Diploma) launched on 1 August 2026. The qualification is aligned with the National Occupational Standard for Youth Work and the Level 3 Youth Support Worker apprenticeship and is designed to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and workplace experience needed to practise safely and confidently with young people.

It forms part of a wider reform of youth work qualifications through the NYA's new Standard Qualification Framework (SQF).

A new Level 1 Award in Youth Work will be available from September 2026, providing an accessible introduction for people considering a career in youth work, with reformed Level 2 qualifications expected to follow in autumn 2026.

The new framework is intended to provide clearer progression routes throughout a youth work career, while making it easier for existing members of the workforce, volunteers and people with relevant professional or lived experience to develop their skills and gain recognised qualifications.

Building a skilled and sustainable workforce

The reforms come at an important time for services supporting children, young people and families. Across the sector, organisations are grappling with workforce capacity, recruitment and retention alongside increasing complexity of need. At the same time, national reforms are placing renewed emphasis on early intervention, prevention, community-based support and stronger partnership working.

The NYA describes the reforms as an important part of rebuilding local youth work capacity and developing the workforce needed to deliver the National Youth Strategy. It is also working towards funded routes to qualifications at Levels 2–6, alongside opportunities for volunteers to access training.

For local authorities and their partners, this provides an opportunity to think not simply about individual qualifications, but about the wider workforce infrastructure needed to deliver effective support for young people. That includes considering:

• the skills and capabilities required across different roles
• accessible routes into and through the workforce
• opportunities for existing staff and volunteers to develop and progress
• how qualifications sit alongside continuing professional development, supervision and reflective practice
• and how workforce development supports consistent, high-quality practice across organisational and professional boundaries.