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Childcare and Education - Youth Worker

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Youth workers support young people aged 11 to 25 and organise activities to help them develop.

• Support and mentor young people including carers and people at risk of offending
• Run projects that focus on issues like health, bullying, crime or drugs
• Organise activities for young people
• Work with social workers, teachers, probation officers and the police
• Keep confidential records, look at budgets and apply for funding

As a Youth Worker, you could work in the community, at an outreach centre, at a college, in an office or at a school.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors some of the time.

Youth Workers tend to work between 37 to 39 hours a week. You could work evenings and weekends on a rota. 

Starting: £18,000

Experienced: £33,000

You can get into this job through a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship, working towards this role, volunteering, applying directly.

You'll need a level 2 qualification to work with young people aged 16 and 17. You'll need a level 3 qualification to work with young people aged 18 and over.

You could do a level 2 or 3 diploma in youth work practice. This might give you an advantage when applying for jobs. You could then do further training on the job. 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, and work experience.

Apprenticeships relevant to this role include:

• level 3 youth support worker
• level 3 peer worker
• level 6 youth worker

If you take a level 3 apprenticeship, a qualified youth worker or similar professional will help you work towards a youth support worker job.

You would also work towards the level 2 or level 3 certificate in youth work practice while you're an apprentice. You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship                                                                                            

You could start as a part time youth support worker and complete on the job training. You can then use this to join a degree course. Employers value work experience with young people so it's important to get as much as you can.

You'll often need at least one year of experience to apply for a job or course in youth work. You could apply to become a youth worker if you've got experience and qualifications in teaching, careers guidance, probation or community development. You'll be expected to complete a postgraduate qualification while you're working to give you professional youth worker status.