Youth Work Skills Framework

Welcome to the Youth Work Skills Framework! 

The Youth Work Skills Framework has been developed by the youth work sector in Scotland, facilitated by YouthLink Scotland, and can be used in a range of youth work contexts and practices.

The Framework outlines the key skills that young people can develop though participation in youth work in Scotland. Young people develop a wide range of valuable skills in a variety of youth work contexts. This Framework does not aim to capture all the skills young people develop through youth work, but identifies the key skills most commonly developed by young people through their engagement in youth work.  

These skills equip young people to live, learn and work helping them to thrive and fulfil their potential. 

What do we mean by skills? 

We use a broad definition of skills in this framework and include what would traditionally be classed as skills as well as behaviours and qualities. 

There are 11 key skills identified in the framework and clicking on each of the skills below will provide you with more information on the skill.  The skills have also been mapped to  the National Youth Work Outcomes, Curriculum for Excellence and My World of Work to help young people understand how their skills are transferrable. 

Click on the graphic above to open an interactive Skills Framework PDF.

Skills and the National Youth Work Outcomes

Skills form an essential part of the National Youth Work Outcomes.  In many cases, the skills young people develop are building blocks on which the youth work outcomes are achieved.  Whilst the skills framework identifies what a young person is able to do, the youth work outcomes explain the difference this makes for young people. Each skill has been mapped to the relevant youth work outcomes.