Youth and community work

A degree in youth and community work provides you with a mix of practical and academic skills that can be used in many community-based roles

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Advice worker
• Community development worker
• Community education officer
• Family support worker
• Learning mentor
• Probation officer
• Social worker
• Volunteer coordinator
• Youth worker

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Adult guidance worker
• Arbitrator
• Careers adviser
• Chaplain
• Charity officer
• Counsellor
• Education mental health practitioner
• Equality, diversity and inclusion officer
• Housing manager/officer
• Outdoor activities/education manager
• Paralegal
• Police officer
• Secondary school teacher

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

It's important to get relevant paid or voluntary work experience to increase your skills and help make you more employable. Experience is particularly important if you want to go into teaching or an advisory or social work/care role. For classroom experience, contact local schools to arrange visits to observe teachers or to help with non-teaching duties.

You can also get involved in your local community and build up some experience. When looking for opportunities, highlight any sport, language or performing arts skills that you have. Take advantage of work placements offered as part of your course, or look at finding one in a youth or community centre, school or college.

Experience of working with young people in areas such as advice and guidance, drug or alcohol misuse, mentoring, tutoring, sport and youth justice is also useful. You can often gain this type of experience through volunteering.

Contact your local youth service or club (local authority in Scotland) or voluntary bodies to arrange voluntary or part-time sessional work. You can also gain valuable experience by working or volunteering at summer play schemes, youth clubs and summer camps.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

You can find employment in youth and community work with a range of employers, including:

• local authority youth services
• education departments
• voluntary and charitable organisations
• churches and other faith-based organisations
• other community-based groups
• police and probation services
• schools and colleges
• social services.

Areas of work include:

• community policing
• community work
• drugs services
• education
• health
• housing
• trainee probation
• welfare rights
• youth justice
• youth work.

Many jobs are project based, covering specific aspects such as poverty, education, homelessness, drugs, sexual health, advisory work, community arts and regeneration.

Find information on employers in teaching and education, social care, charity and voluntary work, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Many courses combine university-based learning with supervised practice placements, testing your knowledge in real youth and community situations. You learn how to engage with, support and motivate young people so that they can explore and understand their ideas, values and beliefs and make a successful transition to adulthood.

Employers are also interested in the broader skills you acquire studying youth and community work. These include:

• skills in critical thinking, analysis and reflection that can be applied during your fieldwork practice
• empathy, and a commitment to equality and non-judgemental practice
• problem-solving skills developed by integrating theory and practice
• presentation skills, and oral and written communication skills
• management, supervision and organisational skills
• the ability to work independently and to deadlines
• fundraising and advocacy skills
• teamwork skills and the ability to work with people from all backgrounds.

Further study

Some graduates opt for postgraduate study, such as studying a research-based Masters degree or a PhD in education or community/youth studies. MA courses for qualified youth and community workers are also available.

For some careers, such as teaching and social work, you'll need to take further vocational training. You'll need to complete work-based training programmes to enter careers such as probation or police officer.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in youth work.

What do youth and community work graduates do

The top ten jobs for youth and community work graduates include youth and community workers (24%), welfare and housing associate professionals (11%), youth work professionals (6%), care workers and home carers (5%), child and early years officers (5%), educational support assistants (3%), teaching assistants (2%) and senior care workers (2%).

Find out what other graduates are doing after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.