Introduction to working with young people
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| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown.
Summary
This course introduces key principles and ideas underpinning work with young people – particularly aged 13–19 – in areas of practice where their participation is voluntary, and the aims relate to informal education. You will examine the origins and scope of this work; its underpinning values and purposes; the changing contexts in which it occurs; how it is implemented; roles and responsibilities of practitioners and policy makers; and the practical and ethical issues they face. You will develop a reflective stance towards your own practice and that of others, and you should normally be directly engaged in work with young people, or have recent experience in the field.
Course content
Through the printed Study Topics and supporting resources such as the DVD and the course reader, you will be exploring and analysing a range of perspectives on work with young people. As you do so you will be encouraged to review and analyse your own experiences as a learner and a practitioner.
By the end of the course you will have developed your:
- understanding of the range of practices included in ‘work with young people’
- understanding of the issues, theories and research relevant to this field of practice
- understanding of ways of supporting young people with diverse needs and abilities in a range of contexts
- understanding of how young people learn
- understanding of the impact of policy on work with young people
- skills in, and knowledge and understanding of, processes of critical reflection and programme evaluation.
Vocational relevance
This course is aimed at practitioners working in a wide range of settings involving work with young people, focusing on the age range 13–19. You might, for example, be involved in:
- running a youth club
- working with young people on a housing estate
- participating in a church group
- advising young people on health or careers
- mentoring young people
- working with a group of scouts or guides.
Please note that if you’ve never had any practical involvement in work with young people, it may be difficult to complete some of the assignments.
Entry
Before starting the course, it is expected that you will have current or recent experience of working with young people in an informal education setting such as a youth club, scout group, careers advisory work or other facility provided to help the learning or development of young people. A suitable level of experience for this course might be six months of one session (two/three hours) per week, or the equivalent, during the last three years. If you do not have experience of working with young people, you may be able to do enough of the assignments to complete this course, but you will not be able to progress to the practice-based courses required for the Certificate, the Foundation Degree or the Diploma of Higher Education in Working with Young People (see below).
Level 1 courses provide the core subject knowledge and study skills support needed for completion of courses at this level. They will help you to progress to courses at Level 2. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
An APEL (Accreditation of prior experiential learning) version of E131 (EZL131) is also available. This is appropriate for students with substantial recent experience of working with young people, knowledge of the theoretical basis for this kind of work and a readiness for higher education study.
Preparatory work
There are no formal qualification requirements for students joining the course. However, if you have no previous experience of higher education, or if you have not studied for some time, we would strongly advise you to make use of the OU’s wide range of introductory courses and packs.
Qualifications
E131 is a compulsory course in our
- BA (Honours) Working with Young People (B55)
- Foundation Degree in Working with Young People (G03)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Working with Young People (E38)
- Certificate in Working with Young People (C54)
E131 is an optional course in our
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
Excluded combinations
If this course is in a similar area to one you have already completed, you can find out if it is an excluded combination.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The course, and in particular the assessment, make substantial use of audio and visual materials that are made available to students on DVD. These can be played on either a personal computer or a standard DVD player.
The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), though some components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. The books are available in a comb-bound format. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course books, a DVD, a course reader and a course website.
You will need
The ability to play DVDs.
Access to a computer, at your workplace for example, would be sufficient.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor will be particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. We also offer group tutorials. You are strongly encouraged to attend these and make the fullest use of the support that your tutor (and fellow students) can give. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. You can also take part in an online forum with other students, and again we strongly recommend you to do so. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
The end-of-course assessment (ECA) must be submitted on paper. Equal weighting is given to the TMAs taken together and the ECA, and you must pass both of these to pass the course. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching and so you are required to complete it all. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Professional recognition
The Certificate in Working with Young People has been approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), for inclusion as a Level 4 qualification in the National Qualifications Framework, as a Youth Support Worker qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the Certificate is recognised as a pre-professional qualification at SCQF Level 7.
The National Youth Agency (NYA), on behalf of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), recognise this foundation degree as a professional qualification for those wishing to be employed in youth work in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. From August 2010 an honours degree will be required for professional youth work in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. To enable students to meet this requirement and to facilitate professional qualification within Scotland, the OU is working towards validation for its BA (Honours) Working with Young People (B55) within England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in readiness for students registering for the 2009 presentation of E131.
The Foundation Degree in Working with Young People (G03) is recognised as a sector-endorsed qualification by the Children’s Workforce Development Council.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2010. We expect it to be available once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Childhood and Youth, Education and Health and Social Care.
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Student Reviews
I found this course very interesting and enjoyable. I'm a part-time youth worker so it was very relevant to me. ...
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Hi, As I am working on a degree in Psychology this was a step away for me. I did it ...
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