More than five hundred bursaries (free training places) for youth work courses are on offer through the National Youth Agency (NYA) and its regional partners. The bursary scheme opens up exciting opportunities in the youth work profession, as well as the chance to specialise in different areas of youth work, or progress into a leadership role.
Mae gwaith ieuenctid yn ddewis gyrfa gwerth chweil, gan roi’r boddhad o alluogi pobl ifanc i feithrin eu sgiliau a’u hyder a darganfod eu doniau wrth weithio gyda phobl ifanc mewn amrywiaeth o leoliadau, gan gynnwys ysgolion, gofal iechyd ac amgylcheddau diogel.
There are many different routes into the profession, whether you are a school leaver, volunteer or looking for a career change and now, thanks to a third year of funding from the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), the NYA and its regional partners are offering bursaries to help build the skills and capacity of the sector.
A total of 570 places are available for Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in youth work for 2022/3. The Bursary scheme follows previous schemes since 2019 which have resulted in 650 youth workers trained to Level 2 and 3.
The new Level 4 Certificate in Professional Development (Youth Work) will provide an exciting opportunity for existing youth workers wanting to gain a higher level professional qualification which will help them progress in their career, with the aim of attracting and retaining highly skilled youth workers to the sector.
Training may be online, face-to-face, or a mix of both. All applicants must already be working either as a volunteer or in paid employment with young people.
Learners are expected to be prepared to study on their own for a large proportion of the time but will be given support.
Bursaries are available for the following qualifications
Gwobr Lefel 2 mewn Egwyddorion Gwaith Ieuenctid
The Youth Work Practice, Level 2 Award programme is an introductory accredited youth work qualification that builds confidence and skills in all those working with young people. This qualification is an ideal way to ensure all those working with young people have the basics to ensure safe and effective practice.
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for new volunteers, part time youth workers or individuals who are relatively new to working with young people in different settings i.e. schools/ youth offending service/ local youth voluntary organisations. It is also relevant for student placements such as youth work, social work placements if students are working within a youth setting.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, learners will:
- Understand the key principles of youth work good practice.
- Be more aware of how to support young people effectively.
- Have increased knowledge of the importance of safeguarding, boundaries, confidentiality and information sharing.
- Be confident in young people’s development and how this affects how we work with young people.
Tystysgrif Lefel 2 mewn Ymarfer Gwaith Ieuenctid
This qualification embraces the National Occupational Standards for youth work. It supports the skills and knowledge learners need to become a competent Assistant Youth Support Worker. Learners will complete this qualification with a concrete understanding and practical experience by working through a number of mandatory units which will be complimented by some optional units. This course will provide a good foundation and working within the requirements for occupational competence within the JNC framework.
Who is this course for?
This qualification is designed for people who are already working in a youth work environment (public, voluntary or private sector, paid or unpaid) and who deliver operational youth work; undertake duties on their own initiative and who may carry supervisory responsibility for small projects. Learners with these responsibilities will receive leadership and operational guidance from professionally qualified youth workers. The Level 2 Certificate is suitable for those who are 16 plus and have some experience of youth work and want an access route to a qualification.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, learners will:
- The values, core principles and current policies relating to youth work.
- Intervention strategies in youth work settings.
- The principles, knowledge and skills needed for work-based practice.
Tystysgrif Lefel 3 mewn Ymarfer Gwaith Ieuenctid
This qualification embraces the National Occupational Standards for youth work. It supports the skills and knowledge learners need to become a competent Youth Support Worker.
Who is this course for?
This qualification is designed for people who are already working in a youth work environment (public, voluntary or private sector, paid or unpaid) and who deliver operational youth work; undertake duties on their own initiative and who may carry supervisory responsibility for small projects. Learners with these responsibilities will receive leadership and operational guidance from professionally qualified youth workers. The Level 3 Certificate is suitable for those who are 16 plus and have some experience of youth work and want an access route to a qualification.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, learners will:
- The values, core principles and current policies relating to youth work.
- Intervention strategies in youth work settings.
- The principles, knowledge and skills needed for work-based practice.
Diploma Lefel 3 mewn Ymarfer Gwaith Ieuenctid
This qualification embraces the National Occupational Standards for youth work. It supports the skills and knowledge learners need to become a competent Youth Support Worker.
Who is this course for?
This course is for people who have been working with young people, paid or voluntary for more than one year. This qualification opens the pathway of studying youth work at degree level. The Diploma requires a significant commitment for both the learner and employee.
Learning outcomes
This qualification embraces the National Occupational Standards for youth work. It supports the skills and knowledge learners need to become a competent Youth Support Worker. Learners will complete this qualification with a concrete understanding of the following:
- The values, core principles and current policies relating to youth work.
- Intervention strategies in youth work settings.
- The principles, knowledge and skills needed for work-based practice.
Tystysgrif Lefel 4 mewn Datblygiad Proffesiynol (Gwaith Ieuenctid)
The recently launched Level 4 Certificate in Professional Development (Youth Work) is aimed at youth workers as well as those who wish to learn more about using youth work methods in their service such as social workers, police officers, emergency services, and teachers.
Applicants must be 19 years or older and have a formal Level 3 qualification in Youth Work or similar, plus 12 months’ experience of working with young people in a voluntary or paid role.
This course must be completed within 10 months. It involves six online webinar learning sessions which last for two hours each and will require periods of self-guided learning.
Learners who achieve this qualification can progress to associated Further Education or Higher Education programmes as a springboard into a variety of jobs such as Family support worker, Teaching Assistant, Careers Advisor and Detective.
There are two bursaries available for those wishing to undertake the Level 4 Certificate in Professional Development (Youth Work):
Bursary Route 1 (30 places available): Learners must complete three mandatory units: Introduction to Professional Development (Youth Work), Leadership and Management in Youth Work and Youth Work and Local Strategy, Local Youth Partnerships and Related Structures.
Bursary Route 2 (100 places available): Learners must complete the Introduction to Professional Development (Youth Work) and Youth Work in Formal Education, plus one of three options: –
- Iechyd Meddwl a Llesiant mewn Gwaith Ieuenctid
- Leadership and Management in Youth Work
- Youth Work and Local Strategy, Local Youth Partnerships and Related Structures
As further units in this qualification are developed such as Trauma Informed Practice; Gender Identity; Race and Racism; Faith; Violence, Gangs and Exploitation; Digital Youth Work; and Participation and Democracy, Youth Justice, Social Work and the Secure Estate learners will be entitled to add these to their portfolio within the certificate – we will keep learners updated as units are developed and about any further funding offered to deliver these
Read more about the Level 4 Certificate in Professional Development (Youth Work) below
Previous Bursary funded learners have reported that the training has helped build their self-confidence at work, as well as extend their professional support network:
Karen, from The Escape Youth Club in Brighton took advantage of bursary support to study for the Level 2 Award in Youth Work Principles in 2021 in order to gain the skills she needed to open a youth club and create something positive in the wake of the tragic suicide of a young person in her community. After the course she said ‘I’ve loved the entire course, I’ve really enjoyed meeting fellow learners online – you learn a lot from the others.‘.
Andrew, from Kids on the Green told us about Kam and Fiona, volunteers at the C.I.C. who enrolled on last year’s bursary scheme in order to formally understand the process of working with young people.
Read Karen’s story
.
.
Deeply saddened by the suicide of a 15-year-old schoolfriend of her daughter in 2018, Karen Taylor and a group of fellow parents decided to act.
In Karen’s words: “For someone to feel like there was no other way, at such a young age, was enough for me to do something about it. A few parents and I decided that instead of just talking about it, something had to be done to help and support the youth of our community.”
Getting started wasn’t easy – Karen was repeatedly told she couldn’t set up a youth club because she wasn’t qualified or trained. But when the group of parents managed to register ‘The Escape Youth Club’ as a charity, Karen became Chair. She then spotted the NYA Bursary opportunity, and – with some misgivings – decided to enrol on the Level 2 course.
“When I started I soon got into a panic. But I emailed the course administrator and had such lovely help and support that I was able to ‘believe in myself’ as she advised. I also checked out my learning style online as she suggested, and when I realised that I learned mostly by hearing and doing, I bought a tape recorder and talked into it to record how I understood my lessons That’s worked very well and now I’m even being encouraged to move onto higher level study! I’m not working with kids every day and so some of it is new to me, even though I have three children of my own.”
The Escape Youth Club opened in Ionawr 2020 in Burgess Hill, near Brighton, launched with a donation from the local Round Table. It operates one evening a week in the school where Karen is also the Facilities Manager, and a team of volunteers provide activities the young people themselves have asked for, ranging from sports and arts activities to chess, making model airplanes and making decorations in the run up to Christmas.
“We wanted our club to be different from any other, not only to provide a safe place to hang out with friends and take part in activities, but also to help with their mental health and well-being. All the kids are happy to talk to me. I know we’ve given them a space to hang out and be safe and happy. I am very proud of what has been achieved in such a short time. Our great journey has only just begun and we look forward to doing great things with the youth of our community; giving them the support they deserve.”
Read Kam and Fiona’s story
.
.
When the Grenfell Tower tragedy happened in Mehefin 2017, the ‘Kids on the Green’ youth project was set up as an emergency response. Five years later it has developed into a much broader community service which has attracted hundreds of young people.
Andrew Ioannou, managing director of what has become a CIC – community interest company – said: “We’ve always wanted to help young people with wider problems and to work with the wider community. We try to provide whatever young people show an interest in and whatever they may not normally have a chance of access to, such as horse riding or homeopathic therapy.
“We’ve launched a radio station and we’re about to launch our own TV station which will go live on Youtube, all run by young people.”
Everything Kids on the Green does allows young people to stretch and develop their abilities, and it was with this in mind that Andrew put forward two of his volunteers to enrol for a Level 2 on the Level 2 Bursary scheme.
Kamahly Saunders – known as Kam – originally came along to Kids on the Green to help his younger brother, and soon began coming along almost every day himself to volunteer. “The young people really related to him,” Andrew said.
And Fiona Paulwell-Tindle, a professional musician who came to the club as a volunteer voice coach, is able to help them with the new TV studio. “She’s wonderful at preparing them for performing,” Andrew added, “and has been a role model encouraging more girls to come to Kids on the Green.”
Kam says of undertaking the Level 2: “I’m loving it. It’s not an understatement to say it’s changed my life. I used to work in retail but I couldn’t see how I could progress there and now I can see so many opportunities.
“It’s been a massive help, and it’s been a definite help in working with the young people. I can encourage them to see opportunities which they wouldn’t realise existed otherwise.
“I want the young people to continue to experience wider horizons and to be confident in finding ways and opportunities that make them happy.”
Fiona is taking the Level 2 to understand the processes of working with young people more and has found it a ‘humbling’ experience. “I’m so grateful to be able to do it. It gives me so much and the people who teach it are great.”
She says that she’s already found the Level 2 work has helped in her approach in working with young people, especially in areas of health and safety and codes of conduct. “I’d love to go further and take it to a higher level.”
Fiona is currently working with young people to help them launch the Kids on the Green TV station early next year.
https://www.kidsonthegreen.com
NYA Chief Executive Leigh Middleton said: It is fantastic news that NYA can again deliver this funding for youth work training which will help those already in youth work to improve their practice, as well as attract new talent to the sector. The bursary funding reflects our commitment to building the skills and capacity of the workforce to ensure that all young people who need it have access to a trusted adult to support their personal, social and emotional development.
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with our regional youth work unit partners to administer the bursaries, ensuring that funding is widely spread and that we attract those who are under-represented in the sector.
“Since 2019 the DCMS bursaries have enabled 650 trusted adults to gain the skills to enrich young people’s lives and provide invaluable support during the COVID19 lockdowns. Now, with young people contending with the cost-of-living crisis, the importance of this fourth tranche of DCMS funding to invest in the skills and resilience of the youth work sector could not be more needed.”
Please check the table below for your local contact and contact them to register your interest for a bursary for Level 2 and 3 training opportunities. If you are in the South East (not including London), East Midlands or Eastern regions, please complete the short form at the end.
Training may be provided by the Regional Youth Work Units, the NYA Academy or by a range of other qualified training providers.
| Rhanbarth | Manylion cyswllt |
|---|---|
| Ffocws Ieuenctid Gorllewin Canolbarth Lloegr | study@yfwm.org.uk |
| Ffocws Ieuenctid De-orllewin | youthfocussouthwest@gmail.com |
| Ffocws Ieuenctid y Gogledd Orllewin | training@youthfocusnw.org.uk |
| Partneriaeth ar gyfer Llundain Ifanc | Zoe.Nation@cityoflondon.gov.uk |
| Uned Gwaith Ieuenctid Swydd Efrog a'r Humber | theunit@youthworkunit.com |
| Ffocws Ieuenctid y Gogledd Ddwyrain | training@youthfocusne.org.uk |
We’re pleased to be delivering the Youth Worker Bursary Fund in partnership with:
- Ffocws Ieuenctid y Gogledd Ddwyrain
- Ffocws Ieuenctid y Gogledd Orllewin
- Uned Gwaith Ieuenctid Swydd Efrog a'r Humber
- Ffocws Ieuenctid Gorllewin Canolbarth Lloegr
- Partneriaeth ar gyfer Llundain Ifanc
- Ffocws Ieuenctid De-orllewin
- The NYA Academy
