New head of Youth Service appointed

09 December 2010

Mark Capern has been appointed as the first locally qualified principal youth officer for the States of Jersey Youth Service with effect from January 2011.

Mark is currently an area youth officer for the Youth Service and has been within the service for approximately 20 years.

Mark said "I am delighted at having been appointed the first locally qualified principal youth officer. The Jersey Youth Service is an excellent service and over the many years involved within youth work I have worked with some great young people and some challenging young people, but every one of them I have had total respect for. In all my time in youth work I have never had a dull day and the reward of seeing young people develop and move on in life, whatever their background, is great.”

Mark also commented “The Youth Service has a dedicated staff team, be it young workers, senior youth workers, sessional workers and volunteers and I look forward to working with them all to make our service stay relevant to the needs of local young people.”

The Director of Education, Sport and Culture, Mario Lundy, said “This is a great appointment for the service. We have all seen and experienced the excellent work undertaken by the Jersey Youth Service and Mark has been a key member of the team for many years. I’m sure this appointment will see the service continue to go from strength to strength."

Mark started his youth work career at St Peter’s Youth Club as an adult volunteer at the age of 18. After 7 years he became a trainee youth worker and completed a distance learning programme with the YMCA George Williams College in London.

After qualifying as a youth worker in 2000 Mark continued to manage St Peter’s Youth Club and in 2004 he was promoted to area youth officer for the west of the Island.

Mark moved into town to manage youth work in St Helier in 2007. He has also successfully completed the States of Jersey Modern Managers Programme in 2009.

Mr Capern was born in Jersey and educated at St Peter’s and Les Quennevais schools and completed his youth work degree at the YMCA George Williams College in London.