Channel 4 Programme Notes
Careers - Work it
Working Week
Programme 4
Youth Worker & DJ tutor

Aims:

To give a realistic idea of the working life of a youth worker in an inner city, including: To raise issues of self-development and awareness and career exploration, including:

Synopsis:

00.00–01.11
Introduction, Wayne’s background.

01.12–02.57
Monday
DJ session – how young people raise issues in their lyrics. Idea of reaching youth through music.

02.58–04.40
Tuesday
Describes the area. Wayne’s unstable background and route to the job.

04.41–09.50
Tuesday
Carnival preparation. Rehearsing ‘Li’l Miss Cru’.
How Wayne got into Youth Work.
Luke DJ-ing – how music helped him.
Session assessment.

09.5 –11.11
Wednesday
Drug awareness course. Afternoon off, shopping.

13.0 –16.39
Thursday
Minibus driving test. Although confident, Wayne fails and endures criticism from examiner.

16.40–19.32
Friday
Jordan records her song in the studio. Wayne talks of the joys of helping young people reach their aspirations.

19.33–23.55
Saturday
Carnival. Luke’s set and ‘Li’l Miss’ performance successful.
Wayne talks about helping youngsters avoid his negative experiences and offering them opportunities.

Credits

Curriculum Relevance:

England & Wales
This programme is focused on Careers Education and Guidance, but could be used in aspects of PSHE and Citizenship curricula, for KS4 and post-16.

It is appropriate in terms of the national framework of CEG for 11–19 and the recent emphasis on learning through work, as a preparation for work experience and as a ‘TV experience’ of the working environment, with respect to specific learning outcomes of self-development, career exploration, and career management.

Northern Ireland
The series focuses on Careers Education and Guidance. It will also be useful for courses at KS3 and KS4 dealing with Learning for Life and Work, including Education for Employability, Local and Global Citizenship and Personal Development (including PSHE and Home Economics).

It is appropriate in terms of the national framework of CEG for 11–19 and the recent emphasis on learning through work, as a preparation for work experience and as a 'TV experience' of the working environment, with respect to specific learning outcome of self-development, career exploration and career management.

Scotland
This programme focuses on Careers Education and Guidance, and can be used in aspects of PSE and Citizenship curricula at National Qualifications and post-16 level.

It can be used to support learning through work, as a preparation for work experience and as a ‘TV experience’ of the working environment, with respect to specific learning outcomes of self-development, career exploration, and career management.

Background Information:

The work
Youth work is generally aimed at advancing the social, personal and educational development of youth people, in an informal setting. Young people are defined as 5 –25.

Youth workers organise activities and programmes to help young people develop skills, confidence and an understanding of the issues affecting their lives. Health education, drugs awareness, study support or personal counselling may be involved. Youth workers may also focus on the specific needs of young people in particular circumstances (young homeless, young offenders and young drug addicts / ex-addicts, etc.)

Youth clubs and centres are often organised by local authorities or attached to community facilities (voluntary organisations / agencies like the Connexions etc.), where projects centre around sports, drama, music and other recreational activities. Some youth workers are attached to institutions and some work as ‘detached workers’, operating in a more informal way with young people who would not easily attend a centre. Some mobile youth services exist.

Apart from direct work with young people, youth workers do some managerial and administrative work. They are expected to be aware of relevant agencies like police, schools and the probation service.

There are opportunities to advance to management, administration or specialist work.

Suitability
Qualities needed include: Useful skills
A specific skill that appeals to, inspires or helps young people will be a huge advantage, often in the area of music / arts, sport, technology or health and personal development.

Some things to be aware of!
The work is mostly evening and weekend based, and often part time. Many positions are short-term contracts and youth workers often have to work at a number of centres to make up a full-time job / wage.

There is often some travelling required.

Wages are not very high. Starting salaries would be around £14,000, while more experienced staff would earn around £20,000. A very senior worker may earn more, in the region of £28,000.

There is often a lot of physical work, carrying equipment, etc.

All staff are required to take child protection training.

Police checks are likely when you start with an organisation. Although a criminal record may not automatically exclude someone, all information about records, including ‘spent’ records should be declared.

Getting started
Youth work is not normally open to school leavers – the usual minimum age is 21 and some sort of professional training is usually required for full-time youth work, either a diploma or a degree. Paths to youth work vary across the nations.

Academic requirements and age limits vary between courses. Some relevant work experience may be needed for entry. There are opportunities for work-based training. Training and entry requirements to courses vary regionally and many have recently been changed, so up-to-date information should be sought.

Activities:

Skills audit – design a youth programme
Go around the class and draw up a list of the interests, hobbies, talents and skills that students have. Then do another column with skills / interests they would like to acquire. Group various categories together (music, sports, etc.) and reduce to a manageable number (five or six).

Is there a cross-match? With the resources of the class, could students develop an exciting youth programme of teaching and learning from each other?

Discuss the advantages of each ‘session’ for young people (eg building a useful / enjoyable skill, giving confidence, engaging people who might otherwise not join in, etc.). What would be the downside of each ‘session’?

Discussions – youth issues
In the programme Wayne goes on a drugs awareness course, in which he has to think about difficult situations and the best ways of handling them.
'A young person is behaving out of character, looks unwell and seems 'out of it'. How would you deal with that situation?'
AND
'A young person says they have no money and owe it to a drug dealer who is threatening them – how to deal with those situations.'

Discuss these two situations and consider appropriate responses to them.

What do students think are the key issues facing young people these days. Draw up a list and then flesh out the debates and ideas around each area. For example sex (peer-pressure, sexual health / STDs, the age of consent, abortion, teenage pregnancy).

Creativity
Compose a rap / song around one of the issues above!

Self-awareness / development – Wayne’s driving test
Look at the driving scene again and discuss it. How confident was Wayne when he started? When did things start to go wrong? How did Wayne handle his failure? Was he ‘professional’ in his dealings with the instructor? Was he aware of his mistakes during the test or was the criticism a surprise? Imagine coping with the scene. How did Wayne save face in the film?

Links:

This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has information about NVQs in Youth Work at various levels.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/index.htm

Below is the link to their Level 2 NVQ in Youth Work, which gives an idea of the kinds of studying and training involved in such a course:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/nosmapping/tree/fa08/nvq00589/

The National Youth Agency is based in Leeds. It supports those involved in young people's personal and social development and works to enable all young people to fulfil their potential within a just society. It aims to improve and extend youth services, enhance youth participation in society and promote effective youth policy.
http://www.nya.org.uk/Homepage.asp?NodeID=88833

PAULO is the National Training Organisation for Community-based Learning and Development.
http://www.paulo.org.uk/

Youth Work Links and Ideas is a US-based site, with masses of links to various sites in the field of youth and community. Some of the issues are generally applicable and by connecting to the UK elements they become more country specific.
http://www.youthwork.com/

Credits:

Hair Colour Technician
Camera (Bar) Mike Fox, Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Mike Lax, Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair
DV Director Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck

Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning

Emergency Nurse
Camera (Bar) Mike Fox, Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Mike Lax, Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks, Richard Nicholls
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair
DV Director Imogen Haigh
Production Manager Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck

 Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning

Journalist
Camera (Bar) Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks, Alice Ballentine-Dykes
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair, Imogen Haigh
DV Director Sacha Mirxoeff
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Jayesh Lathia
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck

Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning

Youth Worker and DJ Tutor
Camera (Bar) Mike Fox, Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Mike Lax, Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks, Richard Nicholls
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair, Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck

Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning

Businesswoman
Camera (Bar) Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks,
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair, Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Jayesh Lathia
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck

Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning

Shop Display
Camera (Bar) Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Researcher Richard Nicholls
Sound David Marks, Alice Ballentine Dykes
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
DV Director Sacha Mirzoeff
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck

Double Exposure for 4 Ventures