Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to encourage people into the youth work profession.

This Government recognises the vital role that youth workers play in the lives of young people. In 2024-25, we provided over £600,000 of bursary funding to support over 400 individuals from underrepresented groups to gain a youth work qualification.

In a written ministerial statement on 15 May 2025, the Secretary of State announced DCMS's commitment to provide over £3 million in the financial year 2025-26 to increase youth sector and workforce capacity, this includes a further £250,000 in bursary funding to support up to 160 individuals to gain a qualification, and funding to the National Youth Agency to maintain youth work qualifications, national standards and curriculum to ensure a sufficiently qualified and trained youth work workforce.