TAG: The Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work

The Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work (PALYCW) is a member organisation that represents the interests of academics, educators and researchers in the field of youth and community work. The Association supports and represents in excess of 250 educators at over 50 institutions and agencies in the UK and overseas. We seek to promote, and advocate for, an informed understanding of youth and community work in the UK by connecting our membership through conferences, events and member-led interest groups. The Association has its roots in the emergence of youth and community work as a distinct profession across the four nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We used to be known as TAG, the 'Training Agencies Group' that contributed to the development of many youth and community work education programmes in the UK dating back to the 1970's. The Training Agencies Group itself was formally superseded by the Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work in 2010 and recognition of ‘TAG’ is retained in the legal title of the Association and is often used interchangeably by members in referring to the Association. The Association plays a particular role in supporting the teaching of professionally qualifying awards in youth and community work, however, we work with colleagues involved in education and practice in the broad field of youth and community work across the UK. Our membership reflects the diversity of people engaged in the disciplines of youth work and community development. Our members are engaged with over 3000 students training in qualifications related to youth work, with a reach in to communities engaging tens of thousands of young people in regular youth and community based voluntary activities. The Memorandum and Articles of the Association state that our Objects are: To promote research, education and training in youth and community work in higher education for the public benefit to: 1. Draw on and extend current thinking and practice in relation to the development of knowledge and understanding, skills and abilities, and personal values and commitment in youth and community work to 2. Improve the quality of professional youth and community work education and training to 3. Support the development of youth workers to enable them to provide quality youth and community work to young people and communities to 4. Facilitate and support the education, development and flourishing of young people and communities in the area of benefit.