Options with community/youth studies
Community/youth studies courses focus on helping you develop skills that are essential for working with young people or adults in the community.
Completing a community/youth studies course will give you transferable skills that you can apply in a range of positions and sectors, i.e. management and organisational skills, supervision skills, fundraising skills, advocacy and campaigning in the community.
Many of the courses mix together practical and theoretical skills where your knowledge will be tested in real youth and community situations. Your problem-solving skills will be developed by integrating theory and practice. It is essential that you are able to empathise with people’s life experiences and adhere to the principles of equality and being non-judgmental.
Self-management is another skill you develop and this is crucial to success in the youth and community sector. Working independently, amending schedules and planning for your deadlines are daily requirements of many jobs in the field.
You should be able to demonstrate presentation skills too, as this is an important part of the work. Youth and community workers frequently address colleagues, management committees and local representatives, as well as young people, as part of their work.
Teamwork and the ability to work on your own initiative are also important. Community/youth work involves working on your own and with people from all backgrounds, so it is vital you are able to do this. Possession of communication skills is equally important, due to the amount of oral and written communication that is involved.
Get involved in your local community and build up some work experience. Contact your local youth service (local authority in Scotland) or voluntary bodies to arrange voluntary or part-time sessional work. See the Volunteering England website for details of volunteer bureaux in your area, or visit Volunteer Scotland , Volunteering Wales or Volunteer Now .
Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.
Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.
Many community/youth studies graduates gain employment in social, welfare and informal education. Professions include youth work, community work, youth justice, drugs services, education, welfare rights, housing, health and trainee probation. Many jobs are project based such as anti-poverty initiatives, education, homelessness, drugs projects, sexual health initiatives, advisory work, community arts, and community regeneration projects. Some graduates also enter the voluntary sector and government service.
If your degree does not include recognised qualifications and you want to go into youth or community work, you will need to study towards the qualification on a part-time basis while you are working. This is especially true if you want to progress to senior levels.
Employers of graduates in community/youth studies include local authority youth services, education departments, voluntary organisations, churches and other community-based groups.
For more detailed information about the range of options check out the following employment areas:
See industry insights for further information on possibilities in other employment areas.
Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do? and your degree...what next?
A small number of community/youth studies graduates go on to further study; some combine work and study, while some graduates pursue full-time postgraduate study. Most degrees include recognised community/youth qualifications, so further courses, such as management training courses, would usually be taken part time as part of your professional development whilst working.
Some new graduates choose to study a specialist subject they would like to develop or that is relevant to the area they want to work in. Examples are the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Scotland (to qualify as a teacher), a research-based Masters degree or a PhD in education or community/youth studies.
These trends show only what previous graduates in your subject did immediately upon graduating. Over the course of their career - the first few years in particular - many others will opt for some form of further study, either part time or full time. If further study interests you, start by thinking about postgrad study and search courses and research to identify your options.
Look at funding my further study for details relating to finance and the application process.
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