Membership Eligibility

Following recent industry consultation and member feedback, we have streamlined our membership categories. There are two categories for Full Membership of Youth Work WA;

• Certified Practitioner
• Full Member

We also offer the following membership to students of approved qualifications;

• Student Member

If you do not meet the criteria for these categories, you can join Youth Work WA as an Associate Member.

Full Membership Categories

Certified Practitioner

To attain the level of Certified Practitioner you must have at least:

• an Approved Degree
• and either
  • 2 years of paid practice in the youth sector and 400 hours of Supervised Practicum Placement in a youth work setting, or;
  • 4 years paid practice in the youth sector in a youth work setting.

Practitioners without Degree level qualifications who have been practicing for 15yrs or more, may gain entry to this level through the Sunset Clause. However, entry to membership is not automatic, and we will get in touch to speak to you about your experience.

Full Member

To become a Full Member must have at least:

• an Approved Qualification
• and either:
  • 400 hours of Supervised Practicum Placement in a youth work setting, or;
  • 2 years paid practice in the youth sector in a youth work setting.

Student Membership

To become a Student Member, you must be;

• currently studying an Approved Qualification, and;
• currently working or volunteering in the youth sector, in a youth work setting.

Associate Membership

Associate Members do not need to hold an approved qualification, or be working in the Youth Work sector. We ask that those who wish to become Associate Members agree with the principles and approach of Youth Work WA.

Definitions

Paid Practice

Paid practice must be paid employment of 20 hours per week or more. If employment was for less than 20 hours a week, then an equivalent calculation can be made. For example 2 years working 10 hours per week is equivalent to 1 year working 20 hours per week.

Approved Degrees

There are a range of degrees that are Approved. A list of these, as well as a list of those that are not approved, is available here. If your degree does not appear in either list, it may not have been considered by the association. In these situations you will need to provide a list of units completed so that an assessment of the degree’s relevance can be made.