Marjon all set for International Youth Work Conference

Released: 23.08.18

Plymouth Marjon University is getting ready to welcome hundreds of youth workers, academics and policy makers for the first ever major international conference focusing solely on the impact of youth work.

The event, which runs from 4-6 September, aims to disseminate the latest research on the impact of youth work, promote youth work and stimulate debate about the processes which bring this impact about. More than 200 people are expected to flock to Plymouth for the event, with representatives expected from over 30 different countries.

Dr Jon Ord, Project Lead for this Erasmus-funded event, said he’s hoping the event can have a lasting impact on the field.

“We’re really privileged to be hosting this event here at Marjon,” said Dr Ord.

“We’re world leading in terms of youth work research here at Marjon and at the conference we’ll be disseminating the findings of our two and a half year research project of the impact of youth work in the UK, Finland, Estonia, Italy and France to some of the leading people involved in youth work across the continent and around the world.

“What we really want is for this event to help influence the policy makers and make people wake up and realise what the impact of youth work really is and see how important it is in today’s society.”

Keynote speakers at the conference include Professor of Criminology at the University of Tasmania Rob White, and Dimitris Ballas, who is Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Groningen.

Dr Ord continued: “This is a one-off event and Marjon are very privileged to be hosting it here in the UK. It’s the first ever conference to systematically address the impact of youth work across Europe and the wider world. It’s a chance to hear from experts in the field and address the key issues of the day.

“This is one of the most ambitious projects under the Erasmus+ scheme and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone here to Marjon.”