Barriers and enablers to UK-German youth exchanges within the youth sector
Encouraging UK-German Youth Exchanges
Graph 5.9 Youth workers – In your view, to what extent are the following things barriers to your organisation becoming more involved in UK-German youth exchanges? By country group
UK DE
2.7
Lack of funding for youth exchanges (n=38 UK, 68 DE)
2.2
2.3
Funding regulations and complexities (n=40 UK, 70 DE)
2.2
1.9
Lack of capacity to develop new international projects (n=42 UK, 66 DE)
2.3
1.6
Concerns about risk and complexity (n=42 UK, 71 DE)
1.3
Policy, political or legal limitations (n=40 UK, 71 DE)
1.6
Lack of staff experience with international work (n=43 UK, 71 DE)
1.4 1.4
1.1 1.1
Challenges evaluating youth exchanges (n=44 UK, 71 DE)
There was generally seen to be a somewhat more positive policy environment and resourcing towards youth exchanges. Youth worker survey participants were asked to rate the extent to which various items were barriers preventing organisations becoming more involved in UK-German youth exchanges, using a four-point Likert scale equivalent to 0-3 (Graph 5.9).
The interviews with youth workers painted a more in-depth picture of the wider organisational and policy climate toward youth exchanges: German youth workers generally described international work as being of strong relevance to the work of their organisation, and to some extent a core part of youth work practice for many organisations. It was understood that the policy and funding climate was generally supportive of international work. Furthermore, there were many German youth organisations who undertook international exchanges as a core part of their working with young people. Interviewed youth workers in England generally believed in the value of international work to their practice but highlighted that the policy and funding climate which informed their work was not favourable toward youth exchanges. They identified whilst international work could fit into national or local policy agendas, it was not clearly specified as part of them. For many, international work was an ‘add-on’ to youth work, which was challenging to resource, and a low priority for allocating any new financial resources when compared to other areas. This was not the case for all English youth workers, some described having a degree of local political support for youth exchanges, which made it more feasible for them to undertake this work. Youth workers in Northern Ireland, Scotland and especially Wales described a more favourable climate than their English counterparts.
0
1
2
3
Mean rating (0=Not at all, 1=To a small extent, 2=To a moderate extent, 3=To a great extent)
Funding is a significant barrier and is likely the principal barrier to UK-German youth exchanges. Interviewed youth workers on the UK side emphasised a highly challenging situation regarding lack of access to funding for youth exchanges, but also for youth work generally particularly within England. Many UK interviewees described how youth organisations and youth services had needed to close parts of their provision and were struggling to maintain others. For some, this created a near impossibility to being able to develop new areas of work, be that international work or other youth projects. A concern was that sending staff on youth exchanges would create staff shortages within the organisation that cannot be compensated for in the meantime unless funding for exchanges allowed for coverage of replacement staff costs for the planning, design and delivery of youth exchanges. A few interviewees described how this even extended to being unable to host youth exchanges or visits from German youth workers. This challenging funding climate also contributed to a reduction in staff competences for international work.
Staff with experience in this area had left the profession, or moved into management roles where they could no longer be directly involved in an exchange. (See previous section for more on youth worker competences as a barrier.) The analysis of funding sources in the UK further confirmed the extreme nature of the funding challenge within the UK. Of the 19 substantive UK youth work funders identified, only two clearly provided financing for youth exchanges – UK-German Connection 20 and Taith 21 . UK-German Connection provides funding across the UK for UK-German exchanges both in the school and youth sector and has funded a wide range of youth exchanges since its inception in 2005. Taith operates in Wales only to provide funding for youth exchanges to a range of countries; it has funded 149 individuals to participate in youth exchanges to Germany since its creation in 2022, making Germany its most popular destination. It can also be noted that the UKs Turing scheme 22 provides resources for international exchange but only to the
Within the UK, on average, the three highest rated barriers were:
1. Lack of funding for youth exchanges, 2. Funding regulations and complexities, 3. Lack of capacity to develop new international projects.
Within Germany the three highest rated barriers on average were:
1. Lack of capacity to develop new international projects, 2. Funding regulations and complexities, 3. Lack of funding for youth exchanges.
20 Cf. ukgermanconnection.org 21 Cf. www.taith.wales 22 Cf. www.turing-scheme.org.uk
68
69
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