Youth Work FdA

The Foundation Degree Arts (FdA),Youth Work, is an innovative programme that aims to further students learning and career development within a formal or informal youth work setting. This programme will enable you to develop your practice within a Higher Education framework and to gain an HE award and a nationally recognised qualification in Youth Work which is accredited by the National Youth Agency.

This Foundation Degree aims to provide progression from NVQ level 3 or its equivalents. It also provides you with an opportunity to progress to Honours Degree level, if you successfully complete the Foundation Degree.

Student Quotes

"I wanted to expand my knowledge in order to develop my practice in working with the young people I meet in my job" - Peter Stokes, 1st year student: FdA Youth Work

"It's an excellent course; the content and support from the lecturers and peers is superb. It is incredibly relevant to my work" - Mark Bowler, 2nd year FdA student: FdA Youth Work

Dr Malcolm Ogles

Through this programme we aim to:

• Provide you with the appropriate knowledge and understanding required for the development and informal education of young people;
• deliver the professional and practical skills and competencies that you will need to work as a nationally qualified Youth Worker and associated areas of working with young people;
• ensure that you can demonstrate within your practice that you have adopted appropriate value and belief systems for Youth Work;
• develop your self awareness and reflection, including evaluating your effect on other people and the environment in which you work;
• provide you with an appropriate understanding of the regulatory and legislative framework for Youth Work and prepare you to work within these frameworks;
• develop you as a reflective practitioner, with an understanding of the need for commitment to lifelong learning;
• develop your personal and transferable skills; these include communication, application of number, information technology, team working and problem solving.

The programme consists of 4 single and 2 double units at each levels 1 and 2. All units are compulsory.

Level 1 (the equivalent of year 1 of a full time honours degree)

Learning and Studying in Higher Education

We want you to be successful and this unit will introduce you to the knowledge and skills that you need to undertake a higher education programme. You will study aspects of learning theory, develop your research skills and explore the resources available to you.

Equalities

All youth workers need to have a good understanding of the issues relating to equality and equity. In this unit you will explore the values which underpin youth work, your own attitudes and values, relevant legislation and the cultural context in which you work.

Developing Young People's Learning

This unit considers how young people learn. Key concepts such as informal education and experimental learning are explored. You will learn how to develop learning activities and evaluate their effectiveness.

Group Work Skills

Group work is one of the main tools of the youth worker and in this unit you will look at the operation of groups and examine your own performance of group working to help you understand these processes better. The experience you gain will help you to facilitate group work in a youth work setting more effectively.

Understanding Adolescence (double unit)

We assume that, as someone who works with young people, you already possess a broad knowledge of at least some aspects of adolescent development. The unit builds on and extends this by considering in detail a range of current theory and applied research.

Developing Professional Practice 1 (double unit)

Work-based learning provides an important setting for learning throughout the course. You will undertake a set of structured tasks that relate to learning in other units to complete within your work-based setting. It will enable you to demonstrate your skills, knowledge and understanding in practice.

Legal & Cultural Context

This unit follows up the Equalities unit and provides an opportunity for you to consider the implications of the legal framework for youth work in a wider social context. Legislation related to Child Protection and Health and Safety will be dealt with specifically. You will consider how practice should change in response to legislation and how the youth service manages such change.

Managing People and Resources

Youth workers have to be effective managers of self, others and non-human resources. This unit explores management in a youth work context and how a quality service can be assured.

Interagency Working

Youth workers do not work in isolation and often have to work with other professionals and other agencies such as health, social work and the Connexions service. Issues of collaborative working will be investigated including raising funding for projects.

Creating Quality Youth Work

In this unit you will explore how the quality of the youth service can be enhanced. This will include a consideration of quality assurance systems, ethical youth work issues and managing change .

Action Research (double unit)

Higher education is founded on research. In this unit you will be introduced to work-related research skills in a progressive manner, gradually leading to the planning, development and completion of a work-based project.

Developing Professional Practice 2 (double unit)

This double unit continues the work-based learning throughout the second level.

Appropriate educational qualifications, including: NVQ3 in a relevant area; a pass in an approved access course;AS/A2 study, or AVCE, or GNVQ, or BTEC National Diploma or equivalent.

You will normally be employed for a minimum of 8 hours per week in a youth setting either in a paid or a voluntary role. You will normally have work experience with young people to benefit from this Foundation Degree programme equivalent to a minimum of one session per week over a year.

Details on how to apply for the Foundation Degrees are available here...

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