How do you get into youth work in Scotland?
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According to the Youth Work Scotland website you can get in through courses, apprenticeships or degrees. They also list the names of these and what they entail, which is great. The problem? No local colleges offer these courses, nowhere local offers apprenticeships (there's places like Rathbone that offer apprenticeships in everywhere else in the UK besides Scotland) and emailing up the YWS website and asking for help and info has been useless as they tell me all the information is available on the website.
I've also asked the Jobcentre but they've been useless as well. Has anyone on here (or know anyone who has) worked in this sector and could tell me what my first steps would be? Or give me any links to places that offer apprenticeships/courses in this sector?
I've also asked the Jobcentre but they've been useless as well. Has anyone on here (or know anyone who has) worked in this sector and could tell me what my first steps would be? Or give me any links to places that offer apprenticeships/courses in this sector?
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Or maybe try The Open University in Scotland: http://www.open.ac.uk/scotland/ or YouthLink Scotland: http://www.youthlinkscotland.org/Index.asp?MainID=8110
There's more stuff here and links on the National Careers Service site: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/youthandcommunityworker.aspx including a link to Volunteer Scotland: http://www.volunteerscotland.net/
If you're after outdoor NGB qualifications there's Blue Dome: http://www.bluedome.co.uk/courses/subindex/ngbcourses.html and the University for the Highlands and Islands: http://www.whc.uhi.ac.uk/studying-at-whc/school-of-adventure-studies/national-governing-body-courses
For youth activity courses there's the Outward Bound Trust: http://www.outwardbound.org.uk/our-courses.html and the Institute for Outdoor Learning: http://www.outdoor-learning.org/
Sometimes when there is something you really want to do, you have to travel further than your own doorstep to succeed.
Sometimes major national youth groups will cover the cost of these courses after a period of voluntareering too.
There are always useful related courses to get on first. For example, obtaining the sanction on your drivers licence to drive minibuses. First-aid courses are good too, particularly child orientated ones.