The Professional Association’s Annual Conference 2021

The Association will be hosting its delayed Annual Conference via ZOOM with a focus on recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. As we emerge from multiple lockdowns and contemplate the catalyst for change that is inevitable post-pandemic, there continue to be unanswered questions about what higher education, youth work, and community development will be facing in the weeks, months and years ahead. This year’s online conference provides an opportunity for Association members and our wider network to pause and reflect on the impact of the pandemic as we construct a new normal.

Conference will include discussion of how pedagogical approaches to education in youth and community work are challenged by the re-shaping of Higher Education after two years of interrupted learning and shifts towards digitally-led pedagogy. The future also presents particular challenges and opportunities for youth and community work as a distinct professional practice as we seek to recover and regenerate in our work with young people and their communities. Furthermore, it is clear how the pandemic has highlighted the health, wealth and social inequalities across society and the ‘patterns of change’ that appear to repeat themselves at times of national crisis. Conference will explore these questions through seminar presentations, research dissemination and group discussions that share emerging practice, debate emerging realities and plan for future collaboration.

Our emphasis - as with all annual conferences - will be on dialogue, discussion and debate as we reconvene to refresh our commitment to youth and community work education in as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. Contributions to the seminar programme are invited through the links and briefs provided below, and the conference booking is required with a small fee.

seminars will address:

Reflection:  We invite contributors to present reflections on the policy and practice of teaching youth and community work in higher education: its challenges, opportunities and future possibilities.

Recovery: We invite contributors to present on how practice is adapting and responding to the inequalities exposed by Covid-19; and the role of youth and community work in building back fairer.

Regeneration: We invite contributors to offer perspectives from research that articulate the patterns of change in youth and community work, historically (what we can learn from the past) and presently (what we are learning from lived experiences during the pandemic) and what comes next?

We are seeking contributors who will present, facilitate, animate, record and report on our virtual discussions. Download the seminar brief for to express an interest.

what to expect from the programme

The conference programme will commence at 10.30am on each of the two days and close at 4.30pm, with scheduled breaks and activities taking place throughout each day:

The conference programme is centred around four aspects:

Sector news and updates: with an overview from officers on the status of youth and community work across the 5 nations.

Seminars and workshops: presentations and discussions led by members based on research and emerging practices.

Association business: conference includes a short AGM and development of working groups for priorities in 2021-2022.

Networking and collaboration: space to connect with members through breakout rooms and virtual social activity.

Knowledge exchange: delegates will be encouraged to share learning from their engagements across the sector.