Youth and Community Studies

BA (Hons) Youth and Community Studies
Mode: full-time

Youth and community work is a challenging and exciting profession. Youth workers aim to help young people grow and mature into confident young men and women who are in charge of their lives and who are able to make choices about their future. This course leads to a professional qualification in Youth and Community Work.

Key training areas include: Working with Individuals, Groups and Communities; Establishing and Developing Own Practice; Working with Others - Multi Agency Working, Management of Self and Others; Policy and Legislation and Anti Discriminatory Practice.

Classroom-based learning is combined with practical experience of face-to-face youth work. Community workers provide informal education to empower students to become actively involved in decisions that affect their lives.

Work is sometimes targeted at those deemed to be vulnerable or at risk. Teaching may also be open provision, encouraging the development of new skills and opportunities for young people. Youth and community work aims to create personal growth and social change by challenging barriers.

Areas of study include:

• Locating the Profession
• Working with People
• The Rhetoric of Policy and the Reality of Practice
• Community Work and Citizenship
• Management of People and Resources
• Evidence Based Practice and Research
• Interdisciplinary Working
• Contemporary Social Issues

All stages will include reflective practice unit, incorporating classroom-based learning and field-based professional practice.

Why choose this course?

• High level of prospective employer involvement
• One of first institutions to deliver degree based on new National Youth Agency validation criteria
• JNC-recognised course
• Theory and practice interrelated throughout the curriculum
• Flexibility to study and maintain part-time employment
• Partnership with local agencies such as Luton Housing and Community Living to provide our students with ‘real life’ skills
• Social work related courses ranked 16th in the UK in the National Student Survey 2009

Career Opportunities

Graduates have progressed into youth and community services, voluntary organisations and charities, multi-agency partnerships, regeneration projects, community education, health and drugs services, leisure and arts projects.

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

The course has been designed to involve students in a range of learning activities which will support the development of professional practice skills in the qualified youth and community worker role, in particular the ability to use an evidence based, reflective approach to working with young people.

The approach to learning, teaching and assessment are student centred and fits the traditions of youth and community work education and training. These include: an emphasis on the integration of theory and practice; the use of group process to give the student group a sense of identity and to enable students to recognise and learn from the diversity of personal and professional experiences in the group; and the participation of students in aspects of course decision-making, both formally and informally, evaluation and experiential learning.

The network of associates which has been built up over the past 20 years, provides the course with a pool of skilled practitioners who ensure the interpretation of the curriculum is firmly based on the current realities of the youth and community service.

Assessment

The assessment strategy is designed to reflect both the academic rigour of the BA (Hons) Degree and the professional requirements as identified by the JNC Framework.

The assessment formats are designed to test not only the knowledge base, but will also take into account the need to develop and validate students' oral and written skills; use of literature; critical analysis of ideas; connections being made between theory and practice; understanding and application of professional value; and the ability to reflect and evaluate.

Assessments include: assignments; individual and group presentations; end-of-year portfolio; field-based reports; multiple choice exam; dissertation in the third and final stage.

All assignments are related to youth work practice.

Dissertation/project and research

The honours project will need to focus on an element of youth work practice which has been selected by the student and negotiated in discussion with their employer.

Furthermore, the project will build on, and further develop, the previously addressed skills relevant for undertaking research. These can be identified as:

• Advanced electronic searches
• Using the internet
• Sorting and selecting information
• Using books and journals
• Formulating a hypothesis

Attendance

You are required to attend University two days a week, engage in practice for a minimum of 12.5 hours a week and participate in youth work training supervision for 1 hour a week.