Good to hear you’ve been reading my site and I hope it’s been useful, I guess the first thing to do with getting involved in youth work would be to do some volunteering, most training courses like you to have had some experience, it’s also a great benefit to you to have had some before you enter training.

If you’re part of a church offer to help out with one of their clubs, they’re always grateful for new volunteers, if you’re not I’d recommend talking to your local council about opportunities they have for volunteering, most are understaffed and so appreciate volunteers. There will perhaps be a bit of a wait as CRB checks will have to be done, you may also have to fill in a volunteer contract (agreeing to child protection acts etc).

As far as courses go some youth services (state) offer introduction to youth work courses either for free or for a small cost, these are great for understanding the basics. If you wish to take training further there’s a variety of choice, I am currently on the Oasis Youth Work and Ministry course which covers both secular and christian youth work and gives you a BA Hons degree plus a JNC Level 2, places like CYM (Centre for youth ministry) also offer similar courses.

If however you’re not so interested in church youth work or a Christian course I know people who have done youth work degrees both with Anglia Ruskin university (Cambridge) and also Chester university, both of which I’d recommend.

I hope this has been helpful, I shall try and e-mail you this too however I often have issues for AOL email accounts.

Mark

Any training courses you recomend?
sectors?

thankyou
Theresa.