Job type

Youth worker

£18k - £33k

Typical salary

37 – 39

Hours per week

Youth workers advise and support young people aged 11 to 25, organising activities to help with personal and social development.

More info

Work to help vulnerable young people to live happy, successful lives in their community
You'll need to be a good listener, have excellent communication skills and organisational skills
Work to become a team leader or move into social work or education with further training and study

Being a youth worker is rewarding but challenging work, helping young people who may be experiencing difficulties to succeed.

DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES

Organise sports, arts, education and drama activities
Counselling
Work with young carers or those at risk of offending
Run projects that deal with issues like health, bullying, crime or drugs
Manage volunteers and part-time workers
Keep records and control budgets
Apply for grants and funding
Work with social workers, teachers, probation officers and the police

DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT

You'll usually work for a local authority's youth services team or for youth offending teams, charities or community groups. You could also work as a 'detached youth worker', making contact with young people in parks, shopping centres and on the street.

You could be based at a school, local youth club, community centre, or faith centre like a church or mosque.

You'll need

You'll need excellent communication and listening skills, empathy and emotional resilience, motivational skills, organisational and planning skills.

To qualify for this role you can do a professional youth work qualification, like a degree that is recognised by the National Youth Agency.

Subjects include youth and community, community and youth studies, youth and theology, informal and community education.
Or, if you have a degree in another subject, you can take a postgraduate qualification to give you professional youth worker status.

You'll also need some relevant experience to get on to a degree or postgraduate course.

Alternatively, you could start by doing an intermediate and advanced apprenticeship in youth work or doing a college course like a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Youth Work Practice. This would give you an advantage when you apply for a job as a youth support worker. You would then take further training on the job. You'll also need to pass a background check.

It's important that you get experience of paid or unpaid work with young people. You'll often need at least 1 year's experience to apply for professional youth work courses and jobs.

Find out about local opportunities for voluntary or part-time youth work through the National Council for Voluntary Organisations or by contacting your local authority youth service.