While the demand in Australia for youth workers is growing, the education of youth workers in universities is being "rationalised" because these institutions have been fiscally squeezed by successive federal governments. What are the consequences for youth workers, young people and society as a whole if the move towards "generic" human service degrees is allowed to continue? Given that there is no national professional youth work association in Australia, what can those who teach youth studies or work in the field do to promote and develop specialised youth work education? Judith Bessant considers these questions while discussing the repercussions of recent developments in youth work education in Australian universities.