YouthWorkSchemes Administered byLOETB in 2022
ETBIYouthWork Network (member)
The ETBIYouthWork Network is a national initiative that aims to promote high-quality youth work across the country.The network is made up of representatives from ETBs, which are responsible for the provision, coordination, administration and assessment of youth work services to supportyoung people in their respective areas.The ETBIYouthWork Networkprovides a forum for youth officers to collaborate, share information, and develop strategies to support the needs of young people in their communities.The network is committed to promoting the value and importance of youth work as an integral part of education and community development.It engages in a range of activities, such as developing resources and advocating for youth work at the national level.The ETBI YouthWork Network is committed to promoting the principles of equality, inclusion, and diversity in youthwork and to ensuring that young people have access to high-qualityyouth services that meet their needs.
LOETB Youth Services' SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Good working relationships and strong collaboration with key stakeholders facilitating research, analysis, and identification of young people's needs.
Laois Offaly Local Creative Youth Partnership inYouth Service Unit (Creative Funding for new and existing projects, programmes and initiatives).
Supporting youth work development, principles, and practice with a focus on the needs and outcomes for young people and inclusion of their voice in decision making. Communication, transparency, accountability and compliance with good governance standards.
LOETB maximising available internal and external resources through its extensive network including influence and advocacy for Youth Services (internally and externally).
Opportunities
Growth in Youth Services capacityto enrich the quality of young people's lives and communities in line with the explosion of Youth population in Laois and Offaly Greater Youth and Community Sector Collaboration and Networking.
UBU new greenfield and augmented funding initiatives andYouth InformationCentre. Create Communication Channels with public through social media/online platforms and digital media.
Maximise Laois and Offaly LocalCreative Youth Partnership resources to provide needs-led, outcome-focused and evidencebased creative opportunities foryoung people.
Increase strategic gaps in advocacy and influence.
Weaknesses
LOETB Youth Services structures and staffing capacity are under-resourced and under-developed.
Significantly less funding compared to other ETBs with similar demographics who have a large youth population.
Lack of resources to reach vulnerable/ at risk young people, particularly in rural areas.
Absence of customer-focused userfriendly IT based measurement and reporting system and environmentally friendly practices.
Lack of comprehensive evidence-based research highlighting needs and gaps in services in specific locations in Laois Offaly.
Threats
LOETB continue to receive the least amount of DCEDIY funding despite 10th highest youth population (and 3rd highest of total youth population nationally).
Real potential that youth services will not receiveadequate resources to expand the work in the short/mediumterm.
Widening gap between capacity and provision of services versus continuous and emerging needs consequently affecting the impact of youth services.
Consequences for young people due to one-off funding (e.g., UBU resilience and effectiveness, employability Initiatives and LGBTI+) leading to staffing issues, and successful projects/programmes being shelved byyouth organisations.
No increase in Youth Services grant limiting the capacity of LOETB Youth Services Unit human resources.
