An undergraduate course.

This Level 1 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 issues they face. You will develop a reflective stance towards your own practice and that of others. It would be helpful – though not essential – for you to be directly engaged in work with young people, or have recent experience in the field.

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What you will study

Through the printed Study Topics and supporting resources such as the DVD and the 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 your studies you will have developed your understanding of:

• the range of practices included in ‘work with young people’
• the issues, theories and research relevant to this field of practice
• ways of supporting young people with diverse needs and abilities in a range of contexts
• how young people learn
• the impact of policy on work with young people
• processes of critical reflection and programme evaluation.

Vocational relevance

Introduction to working with young people 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.

Entry

This is a key introductory Level 1 course. Level 1 courses provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning to help you to progress to courses at Level 2.

Before starting this course, it is expected that you will have current or recent experience of working with young people in a setting such as those listed above. 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 will be able to complete this course, but you will not be able to progress to Leading work with young people (E132) or to the practice-based courses Introduction to working with young people in practice (E118), Leading work with young people in practice (E218) and Youth: policy in practice (E318).

An APEL (Accreditation of prior experiential learning) fast track version of this course is also available – Introduction to working with young people: supported APEL route (EZL131). 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. Please note that this route is not available for standalone study - it can only be studied as a module of one of our qualifications in working with young people.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

There are no formal qualification requirements for this 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.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.

If you have a disability

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 study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), though some components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. 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.

Study materials

What's included

Printed study materials, a DVD, a reader and a website.

You will need

The ability to play DVDs.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course. It includes online activities – you can access using a web browser – and some course software provided on disk.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer running Windows since 2007 you should have no problems completing the computer-based activities.
• A netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device is not suitable for this course – check our Technical requirements section.
• If you have an Apple Mac or Linux computer – please note that you can only use it for this course by running Windows on it using Boot Camp or a similar dual-boot system.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study 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-module assessment (EMA) must be submitted electronically.

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 is recognised on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) at Level 4 and it is currently recognised as a Youth Support Worker qualification by the National Youth Agency (NYA). It is also recognised as a pre-professional qualification in Scotland by the Standards Council for Community Learning and Development (CLD).

The Foundation Degree in Working with Young People, of which the certificate forms a part, is currently Sector Endorsed by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC). The foundation degree is also available for those living and working in Scotland as a Diploma of Higher Education in Working with Young People.

The Open University’s BA (Honours) Youth Work is now the recognised professional youth work qualification in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. However, students who began their studies before August 2010 can still qualify at foundation degree level provided that they complete the degree within eight years.

Please note that you cannot complete the Certificate in Working with Young People, the Foundation Degree in Working with Young People, the Diploma of Higher Education in Working with Young People, or the BA (Honours) Youth Work if you are studying in Continental Western Europe. The three compulsory practice-based modules Introduction to working with young people in practice (E118), Leading work with young people in practice (E218) and Youth: policy in practice (E318), are only available for study in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2012 when it will be available for the last time. It will be replaced by Working with young people: an introduction (E108) from October 2013.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Leading work with young people (E132)
• Introduction to working with young people in practice (E118)
• Discovering psychology (DSE141)
• Leading work with young people in practice (E218)
• An introduction to health and social care (K101)

How to register

We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this course. Where the course is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.

Student Reviews

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The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor or study adviser will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.

For more information read Distance learning explained.

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