Description
This qualification is only available until 31 December 2017.
To claim this qualification, you must complete the required 240 credits by this date.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification, please contact the Centre for Qualifications and Ceremonies on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
If you work with young people as a volunteer or in a paid role, the Foundation Degree in Working with Young People will enhance your skills and practice – whether you’re studying for personal development, as a step towards a professional qualification, or to find out if a career in youth work is for you. Students on this foundation degree course work in a variety of statutory or voluntary settings – for example, in youth clubs, schools, Scouts and Guides, or in faith-based organisations. You’ll gain the understanding needed to work successfully with young people (aged 13-19 years) in these settings, and develop your knowledge of the ethics, values and purposes that underpin effective practice.
In developing the skills expected of professional workers in this field, it also prepares you to engage with further study, enquiry and reflection on their practice.
This foundation degree course has been developed in close collaboration with employers and experienced workers from the statutory and voluntary sectors to ensure that it engages directly with the themes and issues relevant to work in this field.
Please note that from 2010, you are required to have an honours degree to qualify with professional youth work status. The Open University BA (Hons) Youth Work (B55) replaces the foundation degree as the new professional youth work qualification and it is now recognised in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
If you have already started studying one of the modules for this foundation degree before August 2010 you will still achieve professional status with the Foundation Degree in Working with Young People provided you complete within the eight-year time limit.
You can ‘top up’ your foundation degree to a full honours degree by studying a further 120 credits at Level 3. You can choose from either the BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies (B23) if suitable Level 3 modules are chosen, or the BA (Hons) Youth Work (B55) which has been specifically developed to follow on from the Foundation Degree in Working with Young People. To obtain the additional 120 credits required at Level 3, you need to study the two 60-credit modules Issues in research with children and young people (EK313) and Youth: policy in practice (E318).
The programme of study for this foundation degree is also offered as the Diploma of Higher Education in Working with Young People (E38). The Diploma of Higher Education might be of particular interest to those living and working in Scotland. The DipHE includes the Certificate in Working with Young People (C54) which is recognised as a pre-professional qualification in Scotland. For further information about professional equivalence in Scotland, see the DipHE description.
Planning your studies
Please note that there are strict time limits for completing this qualification.
In order to complete this qualification you should have completed Introduction to working with young people (E131) or the fast track Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) version of this module – (EZL131) (both now discontinued).
If you would like further information or advice please contact the Working with Young People Team on (01908) 654218, or email.
Entry requirements – The foundation degree includes a specialist vocational component which is underpinned by broad-based academic learning.
During the two work-based learning modules – Introduction to working with young people in practice (E118) and Leading work with young people in practice (E218) – you will need to have suitable face-to-face employment with young people (paid or unpaid) in an appropriate setting for a minimum of five hours a week. Confirmation of this will need to be provided as part of the registration procedures for the module. You will also need support and permission to study from your employer in the form of a number of key work-based learning support roles. Help in securing these roles may be available should you experience difficulties in finding suitable individuals within your own organisation.
In addition, you need to undertake work in the second module in a contrasting setting to the one in which you worked in the first. Further help is available to assist you with this and you should contact the Working with Young People Qualification team for further advice and guidance on either 01908 654218 or email.
To study the foundation degree, you must also:
- obtain the necessary clearance from the Criminal Records Bureau (for England and Wales) or a Disclosure Scotland check or Access NI or Garda (ROI) check, i.e. an appropriate check relevant to the country in which you are working (it is your responsibility and that of your employer to ensure that you meet these requirements, rather than the OU)
- be living in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland or have a British Forces Post Office (BFPO) address outside the UK.
General rules
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 80 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you. Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your foundation degree.
There is a time limit for obtaining the required credits for this foundation degree. It will take you a minimum of two years and a maximum of eight years to complete, and you must obtain the total credits by 31 December 2017.
Career relevance and employability
The Foundation Degree in Working with Young People is currently Sector Endorsed by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC). It provides a good basis for entering a variety of roles and settings in working with young people, including youth services, voluntary and community organisations, schools and colleges, and youth participation projects. The degree is mapped to the National Occupational Standards for Youth Work. Some modules are work-based and involve supervised and assessed practice with young people. You’ll carry out your practice primarily in your own setting, but you’ll need to demonstrate during your study that you have practised in an alternative setting at Level 2.
For more about careers in this sector see the National Youth Agency (NYA) website or the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) website.
This foundation degree course prepares you to work with young people in a wide range of roles. You’ll develop your skills across the National Occupational Standards for Youth Work, including:
- assessing young people’s needs
- working with young people in groups
- designing learning activities
- planning and evaluating projects
- working in teams
- working in community-based organisations.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
For this foundation degree you require
240 credits from the following compulsory modules:
| Level 1 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
| The discontinued modules E131 or supported APEL version EZL131 |
30 |
|
| The discontinued modules E132 or supported APEL version EZL132 |
30 |
|
- Introduction to working with young people in practice (E118)
|
60 |
|
| Level 2 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Leading work with young people in practice (E218)
|
60 |
|
- Childhood (E212)
|
60 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, at Level 2 the discontinued module U212
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of modules so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you will be awarded a Foundation Degree in Working with Young People, and you will be entitled to use the letters FD (Open) after your name.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification