Over the past year, two comprehensive studies of youth workers were coordinated by the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition. Together, these two studies, conducted by the Forum for Youth Investment and the National Afterschool Association, capture the voices and perspectives of over 5,000 youth workers from across the country. Together they offer the clearest, most comprehensive picture yet of the youth work profession: who youth workers are, where they work, how they are supported on the job and what their aspirations are, for themselves and the field.

This paper, by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, reviews efforts to create professional and career development systems in the field of youth work. The report describes evidence of the value of credentialing programs in enhancing the workforce and improving the quality of programs and positive outcomes for youth. The report additionally includes information from the field of early care and education, which has considerable experience with professional development through credentials that provides valuable lessons for the field of youth work.

The tremendous expansion of after-school programs in California has added an estimated 12,000 new jobs to the field. To meet this demand, California is tapping all available resources to find and develop a workforce that has the skills and dedication to create the positive outcomes for children and youth. This brief describes the approach being taken in the state and highlights some of the innovations being implemented there.

I self-identify with the profession of "Youth Worker," which I take loosely to mean any person who professionally facilitates the development of young people outside of a school setting. Unfortunately, this term does not carry the messages I intend. Indeed, the profession itself is evolving in so many directions that it can defy definition. Since there is not yet a clear category for me to inhabit, my colleagues and I find ourselves in the interesting and frustrating role of defining our profession.