The youth sector is under pressure: the number of clients is increasing, care demands are becoming more complex, and due to staff shortages, there is less room to train new professionals. As a result, there is an increased risk of youth professionals dropping out within two years of graduating. They either seek other jobs or experience burnout. It is important to reverse this downward spiral and enhance the resilience of youth professionals so that they experience more job satisfaction and improve the quality of care.
This research focuses on strengthening the resilience of novice youth professionals by emphasizing meaning in work, to prevent early dropout among young care providers. Meaningful work is related to engagement, job satisfaction, and craftsmanship, which could serve as protective factors against dropout. There is close collaboration with stakeholders in youth care practice—students, novice and experienced youth professionals, and their supervisors—as the knowledge and expertise of these participants are considered essential.
Practical experiences
In 2023, a literature review was initiated to explore the relationship between resilience in youth care and meaningful work. This will be followed in 2024 by focus group interviews with Pedagogy students from HZ University of Applied Sciences, novice youth care providers, experienced youth professionals, and supervisors from youth care organizations in Zeeland. In-depth interviews with students, beginners, and youth professionals who stopped working within three years of graduating will provide additional insights into practical experiences in this field.
Based on the results of the literature review and (focus group) interviews, an educational intervention will be developed in 2024-2025 by an action group consisting of representatives of the stakeholders: students, novice and experienced youth professionals, supervisors, and education professionals. In 2025-2026, this educational intervention will be implemented at HZ University of Applied Sciences, and its impact on students and novice youth professionals will be examined. The research results will lead to conclusions that are directly applicable in education and practice.
Read an interview with Sterre about her research here.
