Undergraduate

Introduction to working with young people: supported APEL route

On this page

• What you will study
• Entry
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Study materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Professional recognition
• Students also studied
• Future availability

This course is a supported fast track APEL (Accreditation of prior experiential learning) version of E131, for students with substantial recent experience of working with young people, and substantial knowledge of the theoretical basis of this type of work. It 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 nature and scope of this work; its underpinning values and purposes; roles and responsibilities of practitioners; and the practical and ethical issues they face. Throughout, you will take a reflective stance towards your own practices and those of others.

Course facts

Register for the course

This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.

What you will study

You will complete this course in five months, rather than the normal academic year. 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 the course 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

This course is aimed at practitioners working in a wide range of settings involving work with young people. 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 Level 1 course. Level 1 courses provide the core subject knowledge and study skills support needed for both higher education and distance learning, to help you to progress to Level 2 study. 

You should register on this course only if you already have substantial experience of work with young people, knowledge of the theoretical basis of this work and a readiness for study at higher education level. To help you judge whether your experience is sufficient, we have prepared some guidance (titled “Should you enrol on EZL131 or E131?”), which will is available from the Working with Young People website. If you have any doubt whether your knowledge and experience are sufficient, you are strongly recommended to register on the parent course E131.

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 students joining the course. However, if you have no prior 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.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

The course makes significant use of audio and visual materials that are made available to students on DVD-ROM. These can be played on either a personal computer or standard DVD player.

The study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. The materials are available in a comb-bound format.  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 publication Meeting Your Needs.

You can also find information about accessible study 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.

Study materials

What's included

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

You will need

The ability to play DVDs.

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 2005 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 study material and who will mark and comment on your written work. EZL131 does not have any face-to-face tutorial sessions, but you can ask your tutor 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. 

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 will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper. The end-of-module assessment (EMA) must be submitted online. 

The TMAs are not compulsory, and your marks for them will not contribute to your grade for the course, which will depend solely on the EMA. However, they will be very useful in helping you to judge how you are doing with the course, and confirm that you are on track to complete the EMA successfully and pass the course.

In the TMAs, you will be given choices of study material to cover, to enable you to concentrate on the material that is new to you. The EMA, however, will cover the course as a whole. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.

Professional recognition

The Certificate in Working with Young People (C54) 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 (G03) 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 (E38).

The Open University’s BA (Honours) Youth Work (B55) 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 foundation degree within eight years.

Please note that you cannot complete the Certificate in Working with Young People (C54), the Foundation Degree in Working with Young People (G03), the Diploma of Higher Education in Working with Young People (E38), or the BA (Honours) Youth Work (B55) 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.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Introduction to working with young people in practice (E118)
• Leading work with young people: supported APEL route (EZL132)
• Leading work with young people (E132)
• Leading work with young people in practice (E218)
• Research with children and young people (EK310)

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013 when it will be available for the last time.

Fees 2012

See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.

Study explained

Financial support

- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.

Study explained

- all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.

Student Reviews

A good course, lots of excellent resources. I sat down and studied the course over the period of two weeks ...
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