Levi Hodge, 28, has been involved in youth work for over 10 years. For the past three years he’s been a youth support worker at Youth Moves, in South Bristol.
Levi is a Level 6 learner on the Youth Work degree apprenticeship at Plymouth Marjon University.
He said, “As a young person I was high on antisocial behavioural lists and regularly excluded from school. I didn’t want to engage with anyone and had no respect for anything.”
His teacher referred him to Youth Moves at age 13 and Levi met youth worker, Denise Clifford.
Levi Hodge, 28
Becoming a voice for young people
To encourage Levi to participate in positive activities, Denise engaged with Levi and his friends out in the community. She saw an opportunity to use his voice and took Levi to a local community meeting where the guests discussed a group of young people, labelling them as troublemakers. Levi recognised this as his friendship circle and stood up to explain it’s because they had no fun activities in the area and were simply bored.
Denise began to mentor Levi and brought him into projects at Youth Moves. Levi explained:
“That was a big turning point for me because my life could have gone one of two ways. I genuinely think if I hadn’t gone to Youth Moves, I probably would have ended up in prison. Instead, I got my head down, got GCSE’s and went to college.”
When Levi was 16 his mum sadly passed away and he dropped out of college. Youth Moves swooped back in to wrap around him. At this point Levi decided that studying law no longer matched his aspirations and instead he wanted to become a youth worker.
Transforming challenges into change
Levi’s previous school, Oasis Academy John Williams in Bristol, then offered him a Level-2 apprenticeship within their pastoral, behaviour and community team. At first, he was surprised, but he took a wider view: “I’d experienced problems with the system, and I wanted the chance to try and change it.” Levi completed the apprenticeship which developed into a year’s fixed term contract as an attendance and student support officer.
He went on to become Pastoral Head of Year at Merchants Academy Secondary School for three years, helping young people overcome challenges affecting their ability to engage in the classroom.
Levi’s connection with the youth club continued throughout this time, as the youngest member of the board, where he ensured that young people’s voices were heard.
When a full-time youth support worker role came up at Youth Moves Levi was successful. He said: “Youth Moves is my second home. I think I was always destined to be here.”
He now specialises in youth participation and youth voice through various youth voice projects and open-access youth work, directly influenced by his lived experience of youth work.
“Youth work worked for me. It’s being that one person who is going to be around and not give up.”
From a dream to a degree
South Bristol will be home to a new OnSide Youth Zone in 2025 providing a clear career progression pathway to enable Levi to start managing a team. It was Denise who encouraged him to apply for the apprenticeship.
Now he has children Levi could not afford to give up his job to study, so working while learning was too good an opportunity to miss.
“I’m the first in my family to go to university which I’ve always wanted to do, but thought it was out of my reach. Things are very different to how I saw my life 15 years ago.”
Plymouth Marjon University apprentices are taught with BA Hons students, and the roles apprentices are employed within means they bring different skillsets into the classroom. Levi is enjoying meeting people from all walks of life – the true university experience.
Unmasking potential
The university organised an assessment with an educational psychologist who diagnosed Levi with a specific learning difficulty (SpLD). Subsequently they have put study support in place including a personal tutor and assistive technology.
Levi explained: “It’s improving my time management and planning which I can transfer back into work. I delivered a university session in work which they found really useful. It’s also encouraged me to have more practice-led conversations with my manager which I am enjoying. I can’t fault the course.”
