About Youth and Community Work, BA - at University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Course Overview

The degree explores how to facilitate and support young people's growth, and personal and social development, in a variety of informal and non-formal settings. It reflects current youth policy and practice in both Wales and the UK and is relevant to the occupational sector, local and national employers and voluntary sectors.

Placements are integral to the course in both statutory and voluntary youth work settings, and are underpinned by critically assessing issues that impact on young people's lives, such as the nature of society and issues of social inclusion, sociology and psychology of young people. Students are required to complete 800 hours of assessed fieldwork placements during the programme, as well as attend observational visits to support other modules.

The course is offered through the medium of English, Welsh and bilingually. It is supported by a developing e-library which contains all the major publications affecting work with young people in Wales. In addition, part of the Wales Youth Work Library Collection is now located at the University, affording students the opportunity to access key historical texts and policy documents, as well as other key youth work resources.

Key Features

The BA Youth and Community Work programme has enthusiastic, supportive and bilingual staff who are professionally qualified in the field of Youth and Community Work with recognised expertise. Also, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David is the only place where you can study this degree through the medium of Welsh.

There is a practical and vocational focus to the course, with many opportunities to learn beyond the lecture room. Field visits form part of the programme, where students have the opportunity to experience rural, urban, and multicultural youth work.

The programme places an emphasis on individual personal and social development, and the University offers excellent careers support and guidance. Students also benefit from small group teaching in a supportive learning environment.

There is also an opportunity for students to study abroad as part of their studies in the second year.

Modules

Youth work is a profession with a clearly stated purpose, values, and principles. The key purpose of youth work in the United Kingdom is to:

'Enable young people to develop holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential'.

This statement refers to the holistic development of young people, recognising that personal, social and educational development can also include, for example, physical, political and spiritual development (LSIS, 2012).

Modules include:

• Youth Work Principles and Practice
• Introduction to Young People in Society
• Passport to Youth and Community Work
• Where Youth Work Happens
• Fieldwork 1
• Young People's Health and Wellbeing
• Applied Research Project
• Youth Work as Recreation
• Supervision and Support Skills

Professional Accreditations

Students successfully completing the programme gain a JNC Endorsed professional qualification in Youth and Community Work which is widely recognised across the world.

Course Tutor(s)

• Angharad Lewis
• Nichola Welton
• Alana Enoch
• Darrel Williams

Assessment

Continual assessment is used as a means of assessing progress. Assessments include portfolio based projects, essays, seminars, a group poster presentation and practical assessments which include planning and delivering a 30 minute issue based session to your peers.

Visiting Tutors also carry out assessments of students' placement learning.

Career Opportunities

Due to their aspirations when applying for a place on the degree programme, many of our graduates find employment directly in the youth and community work field, in both the voluntary and maintained sectors. This may be either at face-to-face level, working directly with young people in a variety of contexts (including school-based youth work, detached youth work, health-based youth work, and so on), or they may find employment at management level.

Other graduates have become Education Welfare Officers, or work in residential centres for children and young people. This demonstrates how the skills that the graduates have developed while studying on the degree programme can be transferred into other settings.

Some graduates have secured employment in community education, youth justice, voluntary agencies and the Local Health Board, while others have continued with their studies through entering Postgraduate study/research.

Further Information

While studying on this degree programme, our students learn how to draw on a wide range of intellectual resources, theoretical perspectives and academic disciplines to develop their understanding of the issues of Youth Work and the contexts in which this takes place. Students will develop a broad and balanced knowledge and understanding of the principal features of Youth Work in contexts in Wales and beyond.

An Academic Year in the Life of a First Year Student

Related Courses

• Certificate of Higher Education in Playwork
• Certificate of Higher Education in Young Peoples Health & Wellbeing
• BA Education Studies: Primary
• BA Education Studies
• MA Youth & Community Work

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Entry requirements for this course

Contact University of Wales Trinity Saint David to find course entry requirements.

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View all courses at University of Wales Trinity Saint David

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Related information

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