Future of the JNC for Youth & Community Work
JNC Employers' Side has announced that it wishes to pursue and support the assimilation of Youth and Community workers onto Local Government Service (Green Book) terms and conditions and withdraw from national bargaining through the JNC.
This has naturally caused some concern amongst the youth work field, which was discussed at the ETS Committee meeting on 10 Feb. Concerns relate in general to the uncertainty caused by this proposal and the threat to youth work as a profession (particularly in the current climate of cuts) and, more specifically, to the future of professionally endorsed qualifications and the endorsement process itself.
Chairs and Advisers from ETS England and ETS Wales met with Employers' side officers on 11 Feb to discuss this further.
Employers' side officers were sympathetic to these concerns and agreed to pursue options that would address these going forward. As such, the Employers' side intend to issue a Circular urging employers to refer and use the endorsed qualifications framework. They will also explore proposals to ensure the maintenance of a professionally qualified youth work workforce across England and Wales.
We will provide further details as they become available but hope this provides some reassurance in the meantime.
