CHAPTER 2: Credentialing for Youth Work: Expanding Our Thinking

Credentials are a means by which a profession recognizes an individual’s performance based on a set of defined skills and knowledge (Dennehy, Gannett, & Robbins, 2006). Credential programs typically define the types of training (based on core competencies), number of training hours, and evidence of skill development that are appropriate for certification. They thus provide a clear, consistent path for professional development and recognize individuals who demonstrate competence and skill (Gannett, Mello, & Starr, 2009). While some have touted the merits of credentialing for the youth work field, others have expressed concerns about introducing a credentialing system nationwide.

This is a critical time to reexamine what a nationally recognized youth work credential would look like and how it could benefit the field. There is growing interest in expanded learning time (ELT). At the same time, the definition of youth work is widening; there is more focus on quality, and the National Afterschool Association has adopted nationally recognized core competencies for afterschool and youth development professionals. In this chapter, we reexamine the possibility of a nationally recognized credential in youth work and explore several questions: Why have people been wary of credentialing? What can be done to mitigate these concerns? What would a credential look like? What could a newly imagined credential do for the field of youth work, and ultimately for youth?