NCWD/Youth Launches KSA Section of Website

This new section contains information about NCWD/Youth's Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) initiative. Highlights of the new section are found below.

KSA Competency Areas

NCWD/Youth developed the KSAs to improve the awareness, knowledge, and skills of youth service practitioners, those individuals who work directly with youth. The KSAs are organized into ten competency areas which were compiled from a review of more than 70 initiatives offering training and/or identifying competencies for the fields of youth development, workforce development, education, and disability. These ten areas were validated by youth practitioners, program managers, and stakeholders from the field through focus groups, conference calls, meetings, and an on-line feedback form for relevancy, proficiency, and available training.

KSA Study Guide

The KSA Study Guide, a professional development tool created to help individuals, organizations, and systems build the competencies of youth service practitioners, is organized by the ten KSA Competency Areas. It includes competency-specific learning objectives, selected activities, demonstrations of learning, and resources for each of the KSA components. The KSA Study Guide can be used to: assess youth service practitioners’ competencies – recognizing areas of strength and identifying areas for improvement; plan a professional development program or system – creating a list of desired competencies and a training opportunities calendar; or to discover new professional development strategies and resources.

KSA Assessment Available on Website

Practitioners can assess their KSAs and set professional development goals with two new tools.  The first, the KSA Assessment , can be used as an individual development tool, or as part of an organization-wide professional development strategy.  The KSA Professional Development Plan can be used by practitioners to set professional development goals based on the assessment and track progress towards those goals. 

Organizational Assessment Available

The Organizational Assessment allows organizations and systems to assess the KSAs of youth service practitioners and to create a professional development agenda based on that assessment. This assessment can be used as an organizational development tool or as part of a system-wide professional development strategy.

NAWDP Offers Certification Based on NCWD/Youth KSA Material

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and NCWD/Youth have announced a new credential — the Youth Services Endorsement — recognizing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of youth service practitioners. NCWD/Youth's KSA work is the basis of the credential, recently approved by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). It will be added to the association's Certified Workforce Development Professional program.

For more information on NAWDP's credential process, please visit www.nawdp.org/certification.htm

Disability History Month Resources Available Online

A new fact sheet posted on the National Consortium for Leadership and Disability website provides an overview of disability history month activities across the country.  It also includes a variety of resources to start your own disability history educational programs in your area.