Preparing Youth Workers to Practice Youth-Adult Partnership: A Case Study of a Malaysian Community-Based Youth Development Organization

Abstract

The practice of youth-adult partnership in the context of positive youth development programs is an important strategy for helping underserved youth transition to adulthood and achieve their potential. Few studies have engaged in in-depth exploration of the process and implementation of youth-adult partnership in urban, community-based youth organizations. Toward this end, the current study attempts to understand how one exemplar communitybased youth development organization in Malaysia, ADAB Youth Garage, prepares its youth workers to practice youth-adult partnership. A qualitative, intrinsic case study method was employed to conduct the study. Data were collected using a purposive sampling approach in line with a qualitative case study design. In-depth interviews with seven youth workers, participatory observation and document analysis were used to collect the data. The findings indicated that preparation for youth-adult partnership practice was provided in three main ways: through a robust support system (physical infrastructure, network development), databased planning (systematic documentation, regular planning, information development, participant-informed youth development module) and youth worker development (selection of youth workers, personality development of youth workers, capacity building, policy and legal disclosure). The results can be used as an important input for other community-based youth development organizations to support implementation and practice of youth-adult partnership in their programs.