About us
Background to ETS Wales
The main purpose of ETS Wales is to ensure that programmes of training for youth workers are of a suitably high quality, relevant to the needs of employers, youth workers themselves and the young people with whom they work. It undertakes this work on behalf of the Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth & Community Workers (JNC).
Separately, ETS Wales supports workforce development through a range of training, professional learning and related initiatives.
Welcome to ETS Wales
What is ETS Wales?
ETS Wales ensures that programmes of training for youth workers are of a suitably high quality, relevant to the needs of employers, youth workers themselves and the young people they work with. It undertakes this work on behalf of the Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth & Community Workers (JNC).
The work of ETS Wales is supported by the Youth Work team of the Welsh Government and operates via a memorandum of understanding between the Welsh Local Government Association and the JNC.
ETS Wales aims to deliver similar functions in relation to Playwork; this work is funded via separate arrangements and not linked to the JNC.
History
History of the development of ETS Wales
- In 1961 the Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth & Community Workers was established following recommendations from the Albemarle report on the youth service in England & Wales. It comprises a staff side and an employers’ side who meet to agree the salary scales and terms and conditions of service of youth workers. From 1961 to 1982 the JNC not only agreed the categories of qualification for recognition, it also scrutinised the courses offered by the various institutions and other bodies providing awards. After 1982 the detailed scrutiny of awards on behalf of the JNC passed to the Council for Education and Training in Youth and Community Work (CETYCW) and, in 1991, to the National Youth Agency in England. In 1994 to reflect the change in political structures, the Wales Youth Agency became responsible for the scrutiny of awards in Wales. In addition JNC gave the committee the power to grant accreditation to in-service training courses and staff development policies.
- Following the Wales Youth Agency’s transfer into the Welsh Assembly Government in 2006, ETS Wales became an Advisory Group making recommendations to the Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills about the elements of the training programmes that JNC would value as leading to qualified youth and community worker status. If satisfied, JNC would then make the decision to recognise the programme.
- In 2009 arrangements were put in place to establish ETS Wales as an independent body, itself responsible for taking decisions on the endorsement and professional recognition of programmes. The Youth Work Strategy Branch of the Welsh Assembly Government funds a large element of the work of ETS Wales via a grant to the Welsh Local Government Association. A Memorandum of Understanding has now been agreed between the JNC and the WLGA to host the work of ETS Wales.
Who’s who?
The ETS Wales Committee comprises up to twenty-one members (Chair, seventeen nominated by partnership organisations and up to three appointed members, appointed through appropriate selection procedures) representing the wider non-formal education field. In addition, there are places for relevant observers.
Membership 2026
| Post | Number | Remarks | Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | 1 | Appointed following an open recruitment procedure conducted in line with the public appointments process. | Steve Drowley |
| Vice Chair * | Nominated by ETS Wales membership | Jo Sims (Blaenau Gwent) | |
| Staff side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Staff Side of JNC | Andrew Murray / Dave Rees (Unite) |
| Employers side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Employers Side of JNC | David Algie (LGA) |
| Voluntary Sector Employers Wales JNC representative | 1 | Nominated by CWVYS | Catrin James (Urdd) |
| Professional Adviser (Wales) JNC | 1 | Nominated by WLGA | tbc |
| Principal Youth Officers Group | 3 | Nominated by PYOG | Josh Klein (Monmouthshire)
Steffan Llyr Williams (Gwynedd) Gethin Jones (Ceredigion) |
| Representative of Higher Education Training Agencies Group (Wales) | 2 | Nominated by endorsed Welsh HEIs | Jess Achilleos (WU)
Darrel Williams (UWTSD) |
| Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services | 3 | Nominated by CWVYS, including Training Committee Chair | Grant Poiner (BGC Wales)
Carlie Torlop (YMCA Swansea) Rhiannon Sheen De-Jesus (Streetgames) |
| Further Education Awarding Body | 1 | Nominated by Federation of Awarding Bodies Wales | Rowan Hodgkinson (Agored Cymru) |
| Further Education Delivery Centre | 1 | Nominated by Colegau Cymru/Colleges Wales | Rachel Burton (Adult Learning Wales) |
| Community Development | 1 | Nominated by Community Development Cymru | Alan Twelvetrees |
| Play Wales | 2 | Nominated by PlayWales and Playwork Education and Training Council (PETC) Wales | Mike Greenaway
Martin King-Sheard |
| Wider Field Practitioners | Up to 3 | Nominated following open recruitment by the ETS appointments panel (or co-option by the ETS Committee) | Emma Chivers
Loren Henry, Urban Circle Jo Sims (Blaenau Gwent) |
| Total Membership | 21 |
* drawn from overall membership
Others Attending
| Professional and Secretarial Support | As required | 0.3 Adviser | Liz Rose |
| ESTYN (Observer Status) | 1 | OHMCI | Lin Howells |
| Welsh Government Youth Work branch (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Government | Dyfan Evans |
| WLGA (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Local Government Association | Tim Opie |
| Education Workforce Council Wales (Observer Status)
Dysgu (Observer Status) |
1 | Nominated by EWC
Nominated by Dysgu |
Lisa Winstone
Mark Isherwood |
| National Youth Agency (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by NYA ETS | |
| All Ireland ETS (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by all Ireland ETS | |
| Scotland (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by Community Learning and Development Standards Council Scotland |
Membership 2024
| Post | Number | Remarks | Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | 1 | Appointed following an open recruitment procedure conducted in line with the public appointments process. | Steve Drowley |
| Vice Chair * | Nominated by ETS Wales membership | tbc | |
| Staff side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Staff Side of JNC | Andrew Murray / Dave Rees (Unite) |
| Employers side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Employers Side of JNC | David Algie (LGA) |
| Voluntary Sector Employers Wales JNC representative | 1 | Nominated by CWVYS | Catrin James (Urdd) |
| Professional Adviser (Wales) JNC | 1 | Nominated by WLGA | tbc |
| Principal Youth Officers Group | 3 | Nominated by PYOG | Jo Sims (Blaenau Gwent)
Josh Klein (Monmouthshire) Paul O’Neil (Caerphilly) |
| Representative of Higher Education Training Agencies Group (Wales) | 2 | Nominated by endorsed Welsh HEIs | Gill Price (CMU)
Darrel Williams (UWTSD) |
| Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services | 3 | Nominated by CWVYS, including Training Committee Chair | Grant Poiner (BGC Wales)
Carlie Torlop (YMCA Swansea) tbc |
| Further Education Awarding Body | 1 | Nominated by Federation of Awarding Bodies Wales | Rowan Hodgkinson (Agored Cymru) |
| Further Education Delivery Centre | 1 | Nominated by Colegau Cymru/Colleges Wales | Rachel Burton (Adult Learning Wales) |
| Community Development | 1 | Nominated by Community Development Cymru | Alan Twelvetrees |
| Play Wales | 2 | Nominated by PlayWales and Playwork Education and Training Council (PETC) Wales | Mike Greenaway
Martin King-Sheard |
| Wider Field Practitioners | Up to 3 | Nominated following open recruitment by the ETS appointments panel (or co-option by the ETS Committee) | Emma Chivers
Loren Henry, Urban Circle tbc |
| Total Membership | 21 |
* drawn from overall membership
Others Attending
| Professional and Secretarial Support | As required | 0.3 Adviser | Liz Rose |
| ESTYN (Observer Status) | 1 | OHMCI | Lin Howells |
| Welsh Government Youth Work branch (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Government | Donna Robins |
| WLGA (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Local Government Association | Tim Opie |
| Education Workforce Council Wales (Observer Status)
National Academy for Education Leadership (Observer Status) |
1 | Nominated by EWC
Nominated by NAEL |
Hayden Llewellyn
Mark Isherwood |
| National Youth Agency (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by NYA ETS | |
| All Ireland ETS (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by all Ireland ETS | |
| Scotland (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by Community Learning and Development Standards Council Scotland |
Membership 2022
| Post | Number | Remarks | Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | 1 | Appointed following an open recruitment procedure conducted in line with the public appointments process. | Steve Drowley |
| Vice Chair * | Nominated by ETS Wales membership | Andy Borsden | |
| Staff side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Staff Side of JNC | Shaun Watson / Dave Rees (Unite) |
| Employers side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Employers Side of JNC | David Algie (LGA) |
| Voluntary Sector Employers Wales JNC representative | 1 | Nominated by CWVYS | Catrin James (Urdd) |
| Professional Adviser (Wales) JNC | 1 | Nominated by WLGA | tbc |
| Principal Youth Officers Group | 3 | Nominated by PYOG | Jo Sims (Blaenau Gwent)
Josh Klein (Monmouthshire) Paul O’Neil (Caerphilly) |
| Representative of Higher Education Training Agencies Group (Wales) | 2 | Nominated by endorsed Welsh HEIs | Gill Price (CMU)
Darrel Williams (UWTSD) |
| Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services | 3 | Nominated by CWVYS, including Training Committee Chair | Grant Poiner (BGC Wales)
Hannah Wilcox Andy Borsden |
| Further Education Awarding Body | 1 | Nominated by Federation of Awarding Bodies Wales | Rowan Hodgkinson (Agored Cymru) |
| Further Education Delivery Centre | 1 | Nominated by Colegau Cymru/Colleges Wales | Rachel Burton (Adult Learning Wales) |
| Community Development | 1 | Nominated by Community Development Cymru | Alan Twelvetrees |
| Play Wales | 2 | Nominated by PlayWales and Playwork Education and Training Council (PETC) Wales | Mike Greenaway
Martin King-Sheard |
| Wider Field Practitioners | Up to 3 | Nominated following open recruitment by the ETS appointments panel (or co-option by the ETS Committee) | Emma Chivers
Loren Henry, Urban Circle tbc |
| Total Membership | 21 |
* drawn from overall membership
Others Attending
| Professional and Secretarial Support | As required | 0.3 Adviser | Liz Rose |
| ESTYN (Observer Status) | 1 | OHMCI | Lin Howells |
| Welsh Government Youth Work branch (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Government | Donna Robins |
| WLGA (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Local Government Association | Tim Opie |
| Education Workforce Council Wales (Observer Status)
National Academy for Education Leadership (Observer Status) |
1 | Nominated by EWC
Nominated by NAEL |
Hayden Llewellyn
Mark Isherwood |
| National Youth Agency (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by NYA ETS | |
| All Ireland ETS (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by all Ireland ETS | |
| Scotland (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by Community Learning and Development Standards Council Scotland |
Membership 2020
| Post | Number | Remarks | Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | 1 | Appointed following an open recruitment procedure conducted in line with the public appointments process. | Steve Drowley |
| Vice Chair * | Nominated by ETS Wales membership | tbc | |
| Staff side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Staff Side of JNC | Shaun Watson / Dave Rees (Unite) |
| Employers side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Employers Side of JNC | David Algie (LGA) |
| Voluntary Sector Employers Wales JNC representative | 1 | Nominated by CWVYS | Catrin James (Urdd) |
| Professional Adviser (Wales) JNC ** | 1 | Nominated by WLGA | Cllr Poole (Caerphilly CBC) |
| Principal Youth Officers Group | 3 | Nominated by PYOG | Jo Sims (Blaenau Gwent)
Josh Klein (Monmouthshire) Paul O’Neil (Caerphilly) |
| Representative of Higher Education Training Agencies Group (Wales) | 2 | Nominated by endorsed Welsh HEIs | Emma Chivers (USW)
Gill Price (CMU) |
| Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services | 3 | Nominated by CWVYS, including Training Committee Chair | Grant Poiner (BGC Wales)
Hannah Wilcox Andy Borsden |
| Further Education Awarding Body | 1 | Nominated by Federation of Awarding Bodies Wales | Dafydd Baker (Agored Cymru) |
| Further Education Delivery Centre | 1 | Nominated by Colegau Cymru/Colleges Wales | Rachel Burton (Adult Learning Wales) |
| Community Development | 1 | Nominated by Community Development Cymru | Alan Twelvetrees |
| Play Wales | 2 | Nominated by PlayWales and Playwork Education and Training Council (PETC) Wales | Mike Greenaway
Martin King-Sheard |
| Wider Field Practitioners | Up to 3 | Nominated following open recruitment by the ETS appointments panel (or co-option by the ETS Committee) | tbc
tbc tbc |
| Total Membership | 21 |
* drawn from overall membership
Others Attending
| Professional and Secretarial Support | As required | 0.3 Adviser | Liz Rose |
| ESTYN (Observer Status) | 1 | OHMCI | Lin Howells |
| Welsh Government Youth Work branch (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Government | Donna Robins |
| WLGA (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Local Government Association | Tim Opie |
| Education Workforce Council Wales (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by EWC
Nominated by NAEL |
Hayden Llewellyn
Mark Isherwood |
| National Youth Agency (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by NYA ETS | |
| All Ireland ETS (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by all Ireland ETS | |
| Scotland (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by Community Learning and Development Standards Council Scotland |
Membership 2018
| Post | Number | Remarks | Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | 1 | Appointed following an open recruitment procedure conducted in line with the public appointments process. | Gareth Newton |
| Vice Chair * | Nominated by ETS Wales membership | Steve Drowley | |
| Staff side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Staff Side of JNC | Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe (Unite) |
| Employers side representative JNC | 1 | Nominated by Employers Side of JNC | David Algie (LGA) |
| Voluntary Sector Employers Wales JNC representative | 1 | Nominated by CWVYS | Catrin James (Urdd) |
| Professional Adviser (Wales) JNC ** | 1 | Nominated by WLGA | Cllr Poole (Caerphilly CBC) |
| Principal Youth Officers Group | 3 | Nominated by PYOG | Jo Sims (Blaenau Gwent)
Josh Klein (Monmouthshire) Paul O’Neil (Caerphilly) |
| Representative of Higher Education Training Agencies Group (Wales) | 2 | Nominated by endorsed Welsh HEIs | Emma Chivers (USW)
Gill Price (CMU) |
| Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services | 3 | Nominated by CWVYS, including Training Committee Chair | Grant Poiner (BGC Wales)
Cathie Robins-Talbot Darren Jones (Shelter Cymru) |
| Further Education Awarding Body | 1 | Nominated by Federation of Awarding Bodies Wales | Dafydd Baker (Agored Cymru) |
| Further Education Delivery Centre | 1 | Nominated by Colegau Cymru/Colleges Wales | Rachel Burton (Adult Learning Wales) |
| Community Development | 1 | Nominated by Community Development Cymru | Alan Twelvetrees |
| Play Wales | 2 | Nominated by PlayWales and Playwork Education and Training Council (PETC) Wales | Mike Greenaway
Martin King-Sheard |
| Wider Field Practitioners | Up to 3 | Nominated following open recruitment by the ETS appointments panel (or co-option by the ETS Committee) | Steve Drowley
tbc tbc |
| Total Membership | 21 |
* drawn from overall membership ** does not attend
Others Attending
| Professional and Secretarial Support | As required | 0.3 Adviser | Liz Rose |
| ESTYN (Observer Status) | 1 | OHMCI | Ged Kerslake |
| Welsh Government Youth Work branch (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Government | Donna Lemin |
| WLGA (Observer Status) | 1 | Welsh Local Government Association | Tim Opie |
| Education Workforce Council Wales (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by EWC
Nominated by NAEL |
Mark Isherwood/Hayden Llewellyn |
| National Youth Agency (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by NYA ETS | |
| All Ireland ETS (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by all Ireland ETS | |
| Scotland (Observer Status) | 1 | Nominated by Community Learning and Development Standards Council Scotland |
