BA (Hons) Community Developmen - University of B

The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) Community Development and Youth Work (Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship) is a professionally endorsed program that equips apprentices with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to facilitate the personal, social, and educational development of young people. Through a combination of academic study and work-based learning, apprentices develop the expertise to enable young people to develop their voice, influence, and place in society. Upon successful completion, graduates are eligible for qualified youth worker status and can pursue careers in various youth services and community-based organizations.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The University of Bolton's professionally endorsed BA (Hons) Community Development and Youth Work (Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship) is designed to support the development of confident, highly competent, compassionate and professional youth workers. It's recognised by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and offers dual professional endorsement from the National Youth Agency (NYA) and Endorsement and Quality Standards Board for Community Development Learning (ESB). This apprenticeship program aims to equip apprentices with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to facilitate young people's personal, social, and educational development. It integrates academic study and work-based learning into the normal working week, allowing apprentices to practice their new skills and apply their understanding to their work with young people. The program focuses on the core values of youth work, ensuring apprentices understand the purpose of enabling young people to develop holistically. It covers youth work theory, models and approaches, provision and interventions, legislation and policy, and how these underpin professional decision-making. The program emphasizes experiential learning, enabling apprentices to reflect on their practice, ethics, and values while exploring contemporary issues impacting young people. By combining academic study at university with work-based learning, apprentices quickly have the opportunity to apply skills, knowledge, and behaviors in the workplace, developing excellent practice competencies. Upon successful completion, apprentices will be able to confidently use a rights-based approach to develop person-centered relationships with young people. They will be able to use informal education approaches to facilitate the development of young people and have the skills to promote the interest of young people and advocate on their behalf. Overall, as graduates, they will have the professional expertise to help young people develop their voice, influence, and place in society and reach their individual and collective potential.

Outline:

The program is fully mapped to the Level 6 Youth Worker degree apprenticeship standard (ST0522). The University works with employers to devise individual learning agreements for each apprentice, ensuring they fulfill the apprenticeship criteria and develop additional skills, knowledge, and behaviors valuable to their organization.

Modules:

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional.

Youth Work, Policy and Practice
People, Power and Social Change
Group Work and Informal Education
Ethics, Values and Reflective Practice
Work-Based Project 1
Portfolio of Evidence 1
Community Development, Policy and Practice
Diversity, Identity and Social Justice
Enabling Healthy Communities
Contemporary Issues in Youth Work
Work-Based Project 2
Portfolio of Evidence 2
Global Youth Work and Sustainable Communities
Community Living: Housing and Homelessness
Management, Governance and Organisational Development
Work-Based Project 3
Portfolio of Evidence 3
End Point Assessment

Assessment:

Level

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Teaching:

The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) Community Development and Youth Work (Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship) offers a flexible and adaptable approach to developing skills, knowledge, and behaviors required for a career working with young people.

Teaching and Learning Methods:

Online delivery and engagement where appropriate
Lectures
Seminars and group-based activities
Tutorials
Case studies and practical scenarios
Guided independent study
Guest speakers from the community development and youth work field

Assessment Methods:

Written reports
Presentations
Portfolio development
Essays and reflective accounts
Active participation in group discussions
Practical skills assessments

Faculty:

The highly experienced program team includes youth and community practitioners, managers, and academics who offer both academic and practice-based learning to support the professional development of apprentices.

Unique Approaches:

The program and curriculum have been designed in consultation with youth and community employers, practitioners, academics, and students to ensure its fitness for practice.
Course materials are available online, allowing apprentices to prepare work in advance and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
The approach to teaching and learning is student-centered, with tailored help and support provided throughout studies and work-based learning.
The relationship between teaching and practice provides the essential learning apprentices need to develop as knowledgeable and skilled practitioners able to perform professionally and ethically in their work with young people and communities.
Quarterly and annual reviews, where each apprentice, their workplace mentor, and a member of the team meet to assess the apprentice's progress, promote continuing conversation between the workplace and the University.

Careers:

The BA (Hons) Community Development and Youth Work (Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship) is designed to meet the integrated degree apprenticeship standard for Youth Workers (ST0522). Graduates of this apprenticeship will be eligible for qualified youth worker status.

Potential Career Paths:

Statutory, voluntary, charity, and faith youth services
Youth and community centers
Community-based groups
Outdoor activity centers
Targeted intervention and family support
Schools, colleges, alternative educational settings
Youth training schemes
Hospitals and other health environments
Youth offending teams
Youth justice projects
Housing associations
Supported accommodation
Residential settings

Other:

The program is professionally endorsed by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) for Youth Work (as validated by the National Youth Agency (NYA) Education and Training Standards Committee).
The Endorsement and Quality Standards Board for Community Development Learning (ESB) also professionally recognizes the program.
Successful achievement of the BA (Hons) Community Development and Youth Work (Professionally Endorsed) (Youth Worker Integrated Degree Apprenticeship) confers professionally qualified status for youth workers in England.
Employers can expect graduate apprentices to possess a wide range of transferable skills, such as presentation, oral and written communication, the ability to problem solve and work independently and deal with complex and challenging situations, advocacy and empathy, resilience, teamwork, and the ability to understand and work with people from all backgrounds.
Graduates may also progress to postgraduate-level study in subjects such as community justice, social policy, and counseling.
Studying for a PhD or professional doctorate is another option, or they could pursue a career in teaching by undertaking the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

Admission Requirements

Entry Requirements:

UCAS points: 96 UCAS points.
GCSEs: Five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
English and Mathematics: If an applicant has yet to achieve appropriate Level 2 English and Mathematics qualifications, then with their employer's support, they can complete suitable equivalents locally or with assistance from the University before commencing the apprenticeship.
Non-traditional entry qualifications: The university is happy to consider applicants with non-traditional entry qualifications provided they can demonstrate relevant experience or a suitable portfolio of work that is deemed a reasonable substitute for the qualifications they typically accept.
Joint discussion: Applicants will attend a joint discussion with their employer and the University of Bolton.
DBS check: Applicants must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting their studies.
ESFA eligibility criteria: Admission to this program is only available to applicants who meet ESFA eligibility criteria, including:
They are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in a role relevant to the apprenticeship.
They have the right to live and work in the UK.
Their employer is willing to sponsor them to spend a minimum of six hours per week of their time in off-the-job training, including attending the University (times and dates to be determined) for the duration of their course.
An apprentice cannot be self-employed.
English language proficiency: If English isn't the applicant's first language, they will also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent).
Tuition fee funding: To be eligible for tuition fee funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, applicants should not have already completed a qualification at the same level as the proposed apprenticeship (Degree Level 6) unless that qualification was gained in a completely unrelated discipline.

Language Proficiency Requirements:

IELTS: IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent) is required for applicants whose first language is not English.
Other English language qualifications: The university accepts a range of other English language qualifications.

Location

Gallery

BA (Hons) Community Development and Youth Work (Professionally Endorsed) (Youth Worker Integrated Degree Apprenticeship)

Program Overview