Some of the buzz phrases in the new National Youth Work Strategy include repeated acknowledgement of the value of youth work from government and a commitment by all involved to promote the sector.

If it seems strange to still be hearing in these terms about a sector which mobilises more than 73,000 adult volunteers, working with hundreds of thousands of young people across Scotland, that is something the strategy sets out to change.

According to Youthlink Scotland, the representative body for youth work across the country, the sector reaches 53% of young Scots in the course of their journey to adulthood.

However, it lacks any statutory protection, leaving it potentially vulnerable when cuts are made.

Meanwhile, the fact that it encompasses so much variety can be confusing. With everything from the uniformed organisations like The Scout Association and GirlGuiding Scotland and the Boys and Girls' Brigades, to anti-sectarian work, youth clubs and work in schools such as that carried out by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, its role can be hard to appreciate due to its sheer scale.

Also, with only a tiny fraction of the youth work workforce being paid, their value can be overlooked.

However, that is not the case according to the Scottish Government. Children's minister Aileen Campbell launched the new strategy, Our Ambitions for Improving the Life Chances of Young People in Scotland, which sets out aspirations and ambitions for youth work over the next five years.

"More than half a million young Scots participate in youth work on a regular basis, giving them the chance to develop skills, self-confidence and a sense of connection with others," Ms Campbell said. "We will build on the brilliant work being done by the thousands of volunteers and workers across Scotland to properly recognise the hugely transformative power they have on young lives."

It seems ministers have been persuaded of arguments from the sector, which claims every £1 invested in youth work offers a potential saving of £13 spent in addressing problems later in life.

Jim Sweeney, Youthlink Scotland chief executive, believes a corner has been turned. "This government gets youth work," he says. "They are saying 'we know youth work changes lives for the better'."

Ms Campbell highlights three key defining features of good youth work: young people choose to do it, it meets them where they are now; building a programme based on what they need, and the worker and the young person are partners in a learning process.

Youth work is increasingly an option in the school curriculum and is now recognised as one of the three pillars of community learning and development, says Mr Sweeney, given equal billing alongside adult education and traditional community work.

Poverty and deprivation feature in the new strategy. Youth work, says Mr Sweeney, can be most effective with those furthest away from other help. It can play a part in eradicating inequality or be a haven for marginalised people such as lesbian and gay youngsters who have only previously experienced bullying or a lack of acceptance.

"We switch the thing around," he argues. "It is not a not a command and control model, it is collaborative."

It can also be a last chance, he adds. "Most things will have failed by the time a young person rolls up to the Prince's Trust or some Barnardo's projects.

"The system has already failed them so it is a question of how you build confidence and skills and self esteem in young people so they can hit the world again."

Even uniformed organisations such as the Scouts have changed their approach to be less directive and more collaborative, Mr Sweeney says. "They may still have more of a core 'curriculum', but they have changed their programmes and you see a massive choice of opportunities for young people now."

Scottish schools' new Curriculum for Excellence was a key factor in establishing this new youth work strategy.

Rapid developments in schools, and in other areas of policy such as the post-16 activity agreements for young people seen as vulnerable to disengagement are enshrined in the new strategy.

"There is a place for youth work in schools, especially in areas such as the transition between primary and secondary, and in those issues which formal education is either not trained to tackle or finds very difficult," Mr Sweeney adds.

Alan Armstrong, strategic director at Education Scotland, agrees. The youth work strategy puts young people at the centre, he says. "It's so important we get this right, as the development, learning and experiences young people gain in youth work situations can have a positive impact on the rest of a person's life and work."

So does youth work need a strategy to assert its importance? Not really, says Mr Sweeney, but like a stealth bomber, it can be everywhere but still stay under the radar.

"That's a sign of how well done it is, but can see it overlooked, he admits. "The good thing about youth work is you can walk away at any time. But our feeling is that will stay with you throughout your life.

"Having someone take an interest in you who is not your teacher, parents, a social worker or the Polis has an effect."

Funding, unsurprisingly, is an issue. Mr Sweeney acknowledges the need for money as well as commitments of support .

Local and central government fund the sector, but sometimes in a piecemeal way. "We need more strategic funding over a long period of time to fund the capacity of youth work," he adds. Talks on that front are ongoing, he says.