Craig was a 2023 National Youth Work Award winner, picking up a trophy for our Recognising Skills & Achievement category.
A driving force in North Ayrshire’s youth work sector, Craig Burns successfully led the growth of the Modern Apprenticeship Youth Work Programme, doubling the number of young apprentices achieving qualifications. Craig blogs for us about what it felt like to be recognised for his achievements and the impact it has had on his youth work practice.
For the three years I have held the role as the Modern Apprenticeship Coordinator for Connected Communities within North Ayrshire Council. In this time, I have supported over 27 young people in completing their SVQ3/4 in Youth Work and supporting those young people into positive destinations within further education and the youth work sector. Creating a person-centred, tailored programme, recruiting up to seven MAs each year with a rolling 18-month programme that allows the more senior apprentices to help provide peer support to develop their practical youth work and leadership skills.
The programme is ever evolving to meet the needs of the participants, providing a variety of opportunities to engage and develop their skills and supporting them to overcome any barriers to learning while recognising their strengths as assets. Providing these experiences allows the participants to gather the appropriate evidence for their folios but also to develop the skills required to be a competent and reflective youth work practitioner.
As well as responsibility for the qualifications as a trained assessor and internal verifier, I coordinate the external verification process with SVQ and ensure quality is maintained in delivery of the qualification. I also support the wellbeing of our young workforce as a mentor and manager helping them to deal with many issues they face in their personal and professional lives. This level of support is also afforded to our team of assessors as I regularly provide one-to-one support while training new staff to become assessors and internal verifiers.
Starting as a sessional worker, to full time youth worker and now this role we continue to increase achievements of our young workforce and are committed to supporting their journey.
Creating a nurturing attitude ensures that they are supported regardless of circumstance, this is shown with the amount of former apprentices that have stayed with us as sessional staff, through university placements or full time employment – creating a grow your own culture with great youth work practitioners that hold the same caring attitude.
Leading on this accredited programme that is like no other in Scotland, with staff qualified to deliver and run the qualification in house. Not only for our own services but supporting partnership organisations for other youth work accredited learning whilst providing allocated spaces for our care experienced young people to access.
By creating meaningful and good quality experiences and pathways to employability has provided clear routes for career progression in youth and community work. Getting young people into work and creating a succession of confident qualified youth workers with vast experiences – delivering the best possible service for young people locally. Through assessing and management pastoral care is provided on the job, to sometimes the most vulnerable young people at risk of no positive destination. When delivering these learning experiences and one-to-one support these young people develop the skills and capacities essential for their learning and career journey.
I was really surprised to be nominated, I feel like I do my job and do right by the young people, sometimes I don’t feel like it’s a job due to how much I enjoy it. Although in saying that I did feel really proud to be recognised that my work is done well, and it had impacted the young people I have worked with. After the awards my line manager shared with me the supporting information that was submitted as part of the application. This is what really overwhelmed me. From apprentices past and present supporting my application with the most thoughtful and kind statements – it really showed me the impact I have had on these young people, not just professionally but on a personal level.
In the run up to the Awards I had put it to the back of my mind, focussing on the job and the supporting the MAs. The week of the Awards I had looked to see the other nominees in my categories, I was blown away by the great work that they had done and to be compared to these other people really brought home what this award would mean to me. For my wider team there was so much support and kind words which was really humbling.
I was nervous on the day. But also excited. Not for the prospect of winning but to be part of it and to see the great work that is happening wider than my local authority. The event itself feels special… I wont lie when I heard about the red-carpet dance that gave me the fear!
Being announced as the winner took a few seconds to sink in, I was at a table with the other nominees, my line manager and senior manager, I think their reaction was what made me realise I had won. It felt amazing to know I had won, not only being recognised for my work but being able to showcase the work of the programme, the benefits it has for our young people and hopefully give other local authorities the confidence to explore this as an opportunity for their young people.
Having this award has given me the confidence to continue to develop the role and the programme, it ensures I am delivering the best I possibly can. In North Ayrshire, its highlighted even further the value of our MA programme, and the importance of continuing to deliver this opportunity to the highest of standards.