Published: 2nd November 2020.
Written by Jodie Magrath
A Diploma of Youth Work is an excellent way to start a career working with young people. This course is suitable for people who want to work in community services and have a positive impact on the lives of young people. You might support children, teenagers and young adults through group programs and activities or provide individual support for youth who are going through a difficult time. You might help them to access a range of services or work with other providers to create a
plan for support. You’ll learn to provide advice, counselling, guidance and mentoring in a range of settings.
The Diploma of Youth Work addresses a range of subjects to help you succeed in a career helping young people. You’ll learn about their developmental needs and identify the support services available to support their welfare. The course will explore ways to engage with young people and form strong working relationships. You’ll learn how to develop programs and activities and manage your caseloads. The Diploma of Youth Work involves work placement so you’ll get some real world experience with young people.
Working in youth services is an ideal job choice for anyone who enjoys supporting young people. This industry can be demanding but it is also very rewarding. If you have strong personal skills and are a great listener, this could be a good career for you. You’ll need to identify with young people’s needs and be able to communicate with people from a range of backgrounds. It’s important that you are empathetic and supportive and are able to work with young people individually or in larger groups.
A Diploma of Youth Work is an ideal course of study for the following careers:
Youth Support Worker
A
Youth Support Worker helps young people to overcome challenging times in their lives. They might provide guidance and support to help with issues such as unemployment and homelessness or they might advise them on social and emotional problems. Youth Support Workers help young people to access other community support services and may provide counselling or mentoring.
Social Worker
Social Workers work in a range of settings to offer support to people going through a difficult period. They might provide practical support and connect people with other community services or they may provide emotional support or counselling. A Social Worker might work with families, young people or individuals and they may specialise in a particular area of need.
Youth Crisis Counsellor
A
Youth Crisis Counsellor works with young people who are in the midst of a traumatic period in their life. They might provide emotional support to a young person who has been affected by a crisis event or who are dealing with issues such as grief, substance abuse, relationship problems or mental health issues. Youth Crisis Counsellors may work in a range of settings such as schools or youth activity centres or they may work on phone helplines or for a community support service.
Higher education pathways
A Diploma of Youth Work is a great way to start your career with young people. You might choose to do further study to specialise your skills or focus on a key area of your work. The Diploma of Counselling may be an appropriate qualification or you could also consider a Diploma in Alcohol and Other Drugs. Other courses which might increase your skills and knowledge might include a Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention or a Graduate Certificate in Statutory Child Protection.
If you decide to further your career in youth work you could enrol in a university degree such as a Bachelor of Youth Work or a Bachelor of Youth Work and Youth Studies. This will expand your knowledge and broaden your career opportunities. A university degree may allow you to take on a youth work position with more responsibility. You may be able to use a Diploma of Youth work as a pathway to these courses.
Getting started
If you’re interested in starting a Diploma of Youth Work make sure you request information from a range of course providers. You’ll need information on the duration of the course, costs, any prerequisites and the content the course will cover. Course providers usually vary in the way they deliver courses but once you have all the information you can compare the details and find the right course for you. The Diploma of Youth Work may be offered online or on campus.