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Introduction
The BSc in Youth Development Work is the first degree programme of its kind in the Commonwealth Caribbean. It was designed by the Undergraduate Programmes Department and the Social Welfare Training Centre (SWTC) of the UWI Open Campus in collaboration with the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Caribbean Centre to fill a need in Commonwealth Caribbean countries for standardised professional training for youth workers in government service, non-governmental organisations and community groups. The courses are designed to support student acquisition of a set of regionally agreed Level IV competencies for Youth Work.
The programme’s general objectives are to:
- Introduce and develop the discipline of Youth Development Work within the Caribbean academy
- Equip students with the knowledge, attitudes, skills and experiences required for effective youth development work at senior management levels, and
- Develop effective and reflective youth development practitioners capable of applying theory to practice when working with youth
The programme will provide specific competencies required for effective youth development work that will enable beginners as well as experienced practitioners to develop and/or refine their skills in Youth Development Work. The graduate of the BSc in Youth Development Work will be competent to operate at the level of a skilled manager or senior supervisor in pursuit of the following main activities:
- Working directly with youth, individually, in groups and at the community level
- Developing and managing projects and programmes as well as human and financial resources, and
- Developing, implementing and evaluating policies and plans on behalf of youth to ensure responsiveness to youth needs
Who is this programme for?
The programme is suitable for professional youth workers, including graduates of Diploma or Associate Degree programmes in Youth Work, as well as students with no prior experience who wish to pursue a career in Youth Development Work. The degree is expected to become the standard qualification for youth workers within the public and private sector. Potential students may include:
- Graduates of the CYP Diploma interested in further study
- Graduates of the Open Campus Diploma in Youth Development Work or those with Diplomas from other regional and international institutions
- Experienced and working professionals who do not have a specialised qualification in youth development work
- Secondary school graduates pursuing tertiary study for the first time who wish to pursue a career in the field of Youth Development Work
Which careers do graduates pursue?
Graduates are likely to pursue careers in:
- Government service
- Civil service, including policing and teaching
- Community development
- Youth camp coordination and management
- Youth organisation coordination and management
- Youth Policy development and implementation
- Project and programme development and planning
- Project and programme management and evaluation
- Research in youth development
- Adviser Youth Development
Programme Structure
The programme design reflects competencies related to both Caribbean imperatives and international demands. The BSc Youth Development Work is designed with a focus on Level IV of the regional competency standards for Youth Development Work.
The programme is offered in 16 countries across the Commonwealth Caribbean. Using a mix of guided online/web-based instruction, tutorials, seminars and face-to-face discussions as well as fieldwork exercises, it allows participants to interact with youth through professional placement with youth- or youth-serving organisations or via other specially arranged sessions. From the start of the programme, students are exposed to an integrated framework of traditional academic educational tools and professional training tools. The online offering will be designed to be accessible to students from home, office or at UWI centres/sites in each country.
Students will participate in a compulsory orientation to online learning which covers the use of information technology and study techniques (see section on Academic Preparation below). In addition, students may receive face-to-face support from UWI centres/sites, particularly in the first year of study, to ensure a smooth transition for those new to online learning. A virtual academic orientation will be provided for students. Students will be able to meet with other students at UWI centres/sites and/or online for support and to participate in group exercises.
How are course materials accessed?
Course materials will be available to students online for download. Students may, however, be required to obtain reference texts from reserved copies available in the UWI Library and/or University Sites/Centres or by personal purchase. Some courses may require students to purchase essential texts/resources. However, emphasis will be placed on readings from key journals (access provided online via the University or via open source websites) in order to help students keep up to date with research in youth development.
How are students assessed?
Students’ progress towards achievement of competence will be assessed continuously throughout the programme of study. In-course assessment will be the preferred mode of assessment for courses in years two and three rather than traditional final examinations. Individual written and oral assignments as well as performance in group exercises, practical tasks and field placements will be assessed. Students will submit assignments electronically or in oral presentations. The focus on building competence in effective and reflective practice requires that students prepare reflective journals, case studies and research projects which will enable them to critically assess their experiences of learning about and working with youth, youth organisations and other professionals in teams.
When will the programme start?
The programme is offered in August of each Academic Year. Students may complete the degree full time in a minimum of three academic years (over six semesters). Students, however, may pursue the programme part-time according to their capacity to manage their academic and professional responsibilities.
Entry Requirements
New entrants must meet the University’s normal matriculation requirements in order to be accepted into the programme. They must satisfy the requirements in either (a) or (b) or (c) or (d) below:
(a) Entrants with CXC-CSEC and GCE qualifications having:
· An acceptable pass in CXC-CSEC Mathematics or its equivalent; AND
· An acceptable pass in CXC-CSEC English A; AND
· One of the following minimum qualifications:
o either five subjects (at least two GCE ‘A’ Level or CAPE) and the remainder acceptable passes in CXC-CSEC or GCE ‘O’ Level; OR
o four subjects (at least three GCE ‘A’ Level or CAPE) and the fourth an acceptable pass in the CXC-CSEC or GCE ‘O’ Level
· Grade requirements for CXC/CSEC subjects are General Proficiency, Grades I or II pre‐1998 and Grades I, II, or III from June 1998.
(b) Holders of five (5) CXC-CSEC or GCE ‘O’ Level passes or equivalent, not necessarily obtained at the same sitting.
(c) Entrants with a Diploma, Certificate or Associate Degree in Youth Development Work from UWI or another approved Caribbean tertiary level institution,having attained a B+ average or a minimum GPA of 2.5.
· Graduates of the existing CYP or UWI Diploma programmes in Youth Development Work may receive special permission for exemption from degree courses where courses completed in the Diploma are identical or equivalent to Level I degree courses.
· Graduates of the Associate Degree in Youth Work from the University of Guyana may receive exemption for courses completed, which are identical or equivalent to UWI Level I degree courses.
(d) Persons over the age of 21, who have been out of school for at least five years, on the basis of their overall academic and professional attainments.
NOTE: The same subject cannot be counted at both CXC-CSEC General Proficiency and GCE ‘O’ Level.
English Language Proficiency Examination
The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is used to assess whether persons applying to pursue
undergraduate degree programmes at the UWI Open Campus possess a satisfactory level of writing
and reading proficiency in English for university academic purposes. For detailed information on the
ELPT, see English Language Proficiency Test.
Academic Preparation
The following courses do not provide credits for your programme of study but will give you the added benefit of preparing for your academic studies at the UWI Open Campus:
OOL1001 Orientation to Online Learning
IYMS1001 Improving your Math Skills (if applicable)
What are the requirements for the award of the degree?
To qualify for the award of the degree, a student must complete 90 credits as follows:
- 30 credits from Level I courses, including 9 credits of foundation courses
- 32 credits from Level II courses at Standard Competency 4
- 28 credits from Level III courses at Standard Competency 4
To be awarded an undergraduate degree students must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0
Course of Study
This course introduces students to the basic tools and concepts of economics. Students will be exposed to the core principles of economics: the role of incentives; the idea of scarcity; how to measure the cost of a choice; what is a market; and the purpose of prices. Students will be introduced to the toolkit of methods used by economists. At the end of this course students should be able to engage the core principles of the methodology of economics in everyday use.
This is a cross-disciplinary course. It is designed to provide a firm base for Communication courses and for courses in English for Special Purposes linked with specific disciplines. It helps students to achieve the level of competence in written language that is required of the university student in undergraduate programmes. Course content includes Language in the Caribbean, Summarizing, the Formal Essay and Methods of Organising Information.
Exempted if completed ASc. In Social Work
This course will introduce students to classical social theory through an understanding of the work of writers such as Auguste Comte, Max Weber, Karl Marx and George H. Mead. The main focus of this studying is to understand the central ideas of these writers and to reflect on the usefulness of their theory in contemporary Caribbean societies. This reflection will support students’ further investigations of the explanations given for issues on the front line of Caribbean societies’ development agendas. At the same time, students will learn about the central ideas and perspectives of writers such as Edward Kamau Brathwaite, M.G. Smith and George Beckford. The combination of classical and Caribbean schools of social inquiry will set the tone for a synthesizing of perspectives on race, class, gender, ethnicity and the family in society. This process will assist students with developing their theoretical base in social theory, as well as independent thought on happenings in Caribbean society.
This is the first of three core YDEW courses which focus specifically on developing effective and reflective practitioners. It is followed by YDEW2000 in Year 2 and YDEW3000 in Year 3. This course introduces students to the foundations of the profession by exploring the theoretical principles which underpin the concept of youth and youth development work through an exploration of the history of youth development work with special reference to the evolution of practice in the Caribbean. The course will examine definitions and labels attributed to youth including child, youth, juvenile, adolescent and young person and will highlight issues affecting special categories of youth. By engaging in study on the contemporary status of Caribbean YDW, students will understand the significance of professionalisation and competencies, the roles and responsibilities of the youth worker, the dynamics of working with youth individually and in groups, special ethical issues and current institutional values and organisational structures for YDW in the Caribbean. It will introduce students to the rights-based approach to youth development. Students will begin a Learning and Professional Development Journal outlining their professional goals and objectives, which they will use and update as they progress through their programme.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
The course will provide an opportunity for the student youth worker to position young people within Caribbean societal structures and understand the influence of social institutions on youth personal development. Students will engage in critiques of societal views and stereotyping of youth and will critique the development of youth culture and youth sub-cultures vis-à-vis violence, sexuality, technology, music and culture. Students will learn and apply skills in working with youth groups with specific reference to supporting positive identity formation among young people through practical group assignments involving young people who are associated with a diversity of sub-cultures. It will also reinforce the role of rights-based approaches to youth development by helping students understand the principles of human rights, including issues of equality, equity and freedom from discrimination, and apply them to youth development work. Students will engage in debates on issues within the contemporary Caribbean context which impinge on the rights agenda including socio-cultural constructions and responses to race, class, gender and religion.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0614: Design, develop and support the implementation of community youth development programmes
YDWCYP0724: Manage implementation of youth peace building agenda
YDWCYP343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course is the second of the core YDEW courses. It will support students in building competence in reflective practice by helping them to understand the youth sector. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding and working with youth-led organisations and assisting with the personal development of youth leaders. This course requires practical application and students will be asked to develop a mock personal development plan for a young person in need of support in a given area (based on case study provided by instructor). Students will be required to amend and update their Learning and Professional Development Journal by monitoring their own progress towards achievement of YDW competencies through the Level II period of study, and to make notes about the sectors in which they would like to work and plan for the additional skills and competencies required to pursue their career in that area.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0674: Promote a culture of occupational health and safety in youth development work
YDWCYP0323: Assist young people with their personal development plans
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course will explore the main debates and issues of concern in Caribbean youth development work. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the complex interrelated themes of development which impinge on youth development and be able to offer a critical analysis of current youth affairs with respect to issues such as: globalisation and migration, the sociology of poverty and socio-economic development (education and unemployment), gender and sexuality, public health, crime, violence and citizen security, environmental protection and sustainable development, and sports and culture. Students will explore youth culture and youth sub-cultures in conducting their analysis of contemporary development issues and will be required to formulate recommendations and strategies to address youth development concerns.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0604: Design, develop and support the implementation of HIV/AIDS, STIs and related programmes
YDWCYP0714: Manage the promotion of healthy lifestyles among youth
YDWCYP0724: Manage implementation of youth peace building agenda
YDWCYP0684: Develop and implement protocols and procedures to safeguard the welfare of young people in youth development work
YDWCYP0694: Promote a culture of entrepreneurship among young people
YDWCYP0764: Design, develop and support the implementation of new opportunities for the development of young people
YDWCYP0373: Promote environmental protection and sustainable development
This course requires yearlong practical application of research skills learned at Level 1 of study. In Semester 1, it will build on the generic skills in social research acquired at Level I by introducing students to methods in Participatory Action Research (PAR) which are specific to working with various age groups of youth. Students will pay attention to ethical issues related to working with child participants (under 18 years old) and youth with special needs. It will also reinforce the statistical methods learnt at Level I. Students will be required to demonstrate proficiency in research design and proposal writing. They will begin a literature review and preparation of methodology for their youth research project. In Semester 2 students will focus on data collection, analysis and reporting of their findings which will be compiled in a final year research report.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0634: Manage research projects
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
The course builds on the rights-based approach to youth development through a focus on the tools which can be applied to protecting and supporting the right of youth to participate in decision-making at all levels of society in matters which affect their lives. It will expose students to methods and strategies for assessing the needs and considering the protection of the rights of special vulnerable groups such as indigenous, differently-abled and other minority groups. Students will explore the relative merits, shortcomings and principles of approaches to youth-adult partnerships, youth leadership, mentorship and peer mentorship. Students will explore the principles underpinning advocacy for youth participation and the design of programmes for soliciting youth views on development issues and for youth mentorship.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0564: Apply advanced advocacy skills
YDWCYP0614: Design, develop and support the implementation of community youth development programmes
YDWCYP0684: Develop and implement protocols and procedures to safeguard the welfare of young people in youth development work
YDWCYP0744: Design, develop and support the implementation of programmes to enable young people to address their circumstances
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course will help students to develop specific managerial skills in order to display leadership in the implementation of youth projects and programmes and in youth organisations. Students will be introduced to different styles of leadership and management, tools for human resource management, motivation and team building. They will learn about theories of management in relation to self-management, time management, and management of resources including budgeting and monitoring expenditure. They will also examine principles of organisational behaviour and develop skills in managing change and encouraging adaptability in the working environment.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0634: Manage research projects
YDWCYP0664: Coordinate the implementation of youth development work projects
YDWCYP0714: Manage the promotion of healthy lifestyles among youth
YDWCYP0724: Manage implementation of youth peace building agenda
YDWCYP0754: Coordinate the implementation of youth development programmes
YDWCYP0624: Optimise resource mobilisation opportunities to support youth development work
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
The course engages in discussion of issues of health promotion among youth and youth workers. Students will be introduced to the concepts and principles of health, safety and well-being. They will learn to advocate for healthy lifestyles among youth and in the work place, paying special attention to Caribbean issues related to sexual reproductive health and STIs including HIV/AIDS, mental health and occupational health and safety.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0564: Apply advanced advocacy skills
YDWCYP0604: Design, develop and support the implementation of HIV/AIDS, STIs and related programmes
YDWCYP0674: Promote a culture of occupational health and safety in youth development work
YDWCYP0684: Develop and implement protocols and procedures to safeguard the welfare of young people in youth development work
YDWCYP0714: Manage the promotion of healthy lifestyles among youth
YDWCYP0744: Design, develop and support the implementation of programmes to enable young people to address their circumstances
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course will engage students in a study of the significance of a sustainable livelihoods approach to development in issues of socio-economic development for youth. It will explore issues related to building social and human capital for youth and discuss specific strategies for increasing youth employability, employment and entrepreneurship. It will also discuss the role of the business community in youth development through corporate social responsibility programmes. Special emphasis will be placed on promoting a culture of professionalism and entrepreneurship among youth. Student youth workers will also be able to identify business services available to youth in their countries.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0564: Apply advanced advocacy skills
YDWCYP0694: Promote a culture of entrepreneurship among young people
YDWCYP0744: Design, develop and support the implementation of programmes to enable young people to address their circumstances
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
The course will introduce students to the main tenets of sustainable development and the relationship with principles of sustainable environmental management. Students will engage in debates on current environmental concerns such as the international climate agenda. They will learn how to raise awareness among youth about sustainable development, support the formation of youth environmental networks and advocate for youth participation in environmental decision-making.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0614: Design, develop and support the implementation of community youth development programmes
YDWCYP0564: Apply advanced advocacy skills
YDWCYP0714: Manage the promotion of healthy lifestyles among youth
YDWCYP0744: Design, develop and support the implementation of programmes to enable young people to address their circumstances
YDWCYP0764: Design, develop and support the implementation of new opportunities for the development of young people
YDWCYP0373: Promote environmental protection and sustainable development
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course introduces students to the theories and methods of Participatory Action Research (PAR). Building on skills in social research acquired at Level 1, students will be exposed to techniques utilized when promoting youth involvement in the research process. Researchers using PAR assist in the generation of ideas, information and understanding that will be used to inform social change. Students therefore will pay attention to Models of PAR, Ethical issues related to working with child participants (under 18 years old) and Social Justice (youth with special needs) among other issues pertinent to the PAR research process. Students will be required to demonstrate proficiency in research design and proposal writing. Students will also examine their acquired skills through the exploration of case study work.
This course exposes students to the actual implementation of a Participatory Action Research (PAR) Project. Building on theoretical knowledge of PAR from Part 1, students will be expected to carry out a PAR Project with youth in an area of interest they have chosen. Student Researchers, with the supervision of the Course Coordinator and the support of a Site Supervisor will co-construct an understanding of an area youth are interested in improving/changing and conduct a PAR Project that will lead to improvements for youth. Students will be required to demonstrate proficiency in research design, proposal writing and project management through logic models.
This course will introduce students to the role, purpose and principles of advocacy in youth development. Students will learn how to conduct analyses of policies and legislation which address (or do not address) youth issues and to develop an advocacy agenda around gaps and weaknesses in existing frameworks, paying attention to the principles of equality, equity and human rights. Students will learn and apply advocacy skills using verbal and written communication tools in public education and awareness raising, networking and lobbying, paying attention to the differences in types of audience and the varied purposes of advocacy. Special emphasis will be placed on learning how to support youth and build their capacity to advocate for themselves and for others.
The course requires practical application of skills to the legislative and policy arenas. Having explored legislative and policy frameworks in the Caribbean related to the human rights and constitutional protection of children and youth, economic and social rights, juvenile justice, family law, children and youth policies, and the actors and stages of the legislative and policy formulation process, students will be expected to engage in a critical analysis of the National Youth Policy, where it exists in their country or other primary policy documents which govern youth development and to develop a Strategic Plan for networking and advocacy towards the revision and updating of legislation and policy.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0564: Apply advanced advocacy skills
YDWCYP0574: Develop networks to support the national youth development agenda
YDWCYP0584: Develop and implement national youth policy
YDWCYP0644: Develop a strategic plan
YDWCYP0684: Develop and implement protocols and procedures to safeguard the welfare of young people in youth development work
YDWCYP0764: Design, develop and support the implementation of new opportunities for the development of young people
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0363: Plan and conduct high-level meetings
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course will provide students with the opportunity to apply advocacy skills to activities using advanced information communication technologies (ICTs). It will explore strategies for partnering with mass media organisations and will encourage students to strengthen their verbal communication and writing skills through introductions to effective use of social marketing, public presentations such as roundtable/panel discussions, media interviews, press releases, newspaper features and letters to the editor. Students will be expected to prepare a communications strategy for a selected stakeholder, using participatory and ICT methodologies.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0564: Apply advanced advocacy skills
YDWCYP0574: Develop networks to support the national youth development agenda
YDWCYP0764: Design, develop and support the implementation of new opportunities for the development of young people
YDWCYP0704: Develop communication strategy to support youth development work
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
Students will learn and apply skills in providing support for mental, emotional and spiritual health by providing youth with direct, non-clinical counselling, advice or professional referrals. Students will be able to identify and respond to the special needs of youth with psychological, emotional or spiritual challenges, identify the symptoms of mental health challenges and develop professional attitudes necessary in working with youth suffering grief, loss and trauma.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0594: Coordinate and assess delivery of services to youth with special needs
YDWCYP0684: Develop and implement protocols and procedures to safeguard the welfare of young people in youth development work
YDWCYP0714: Manage the promotion of healthy lifestyles among youth
YDWCYP0744: Design, develop and support the implementation of programmes to enable young people to address their circumstances
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course will introduce students to the principles and methods in conflict resolution and mediation in order to enable them to support an agenda for peace in the Caribbean region. Students will engage in a study of the significance of peace to national and regional development. They will be trained as advocates for peace and as mediators, with skills in training youth as peer mediators. Practical application of mediation skills will be required through a mock training of a small group of youth in mediation and conflict resolution.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0564: Apply advanced advocacy skills
YDWCYP0674: Promote a culture of occupational health and safety in youth development work
YDWCYP0684: Develop and implement protocols and procedures to safeguard the welfare of young people in youth development work
YDWCYP0714: Manage the promotion of healthy lifestyles among youth
YDWCYP0724: Manage implementation of youth peace building agenda
YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course will assist students in building the requisite skills in strategic planning and programme management in the youth development sector. Students will be introduced to the stages of the planning, programme and project cycles and will learn how to conduct activities in each. Special attention will be paid to research and project identification, programme formulation and design, implementation using results-based management (RBM) and monitoring and evaluation. Students will be required to write specialised project documents which demonstrate their understanding of tools for effective project and programme management. They will also conduct an evaluation of a youth-serving project or programme, as a group exercise.
Competencies:
YDWCYP0594: Coordinate and assess delivery of services to youth with special needs
YDWCYP0614: Design, develop and support the implementation of community youth development programmes
YDWCYP0624: Optimise resource mobilisation opportunities to support youth development work
YDWCYP0634: Manage research projects
YDWCYP0644: Develop a strategic plan
YDWCYP0654: Plan, coordinate and review service delivery in youth development work
YDWCYP0664: Coordinate the implementation of youth development work projects
YDWCYP0684: Develop and implement protocols and procedures to safeguard the welfare of young people in youth development work
YDWCYP0744: Design, develop and support the implementation of programmes to enable young people to address their circumstances
YDWCYP0754: Coordinate the implementation of youth development programmes
YDWCYP0764: Design, develop and support the implementation of new opportunities for the development of young people
YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner
This course will raise students’ consciousness of youth in various life, work, and developmental contexts. Students will be introduced to the theory and practice of community development, with particular reference to the work of critical consciousness, appreciative inquiry and positive youth development theorists. They will examine how other people have worked in communities, and their theories about their work. There will also be an examination of institutions, community settings as well as settings in which ethnic, racial and religious minorities exist.
This course requires practical application of research skills learned at Level I of study. It is a study of Working with Youth Community and Organizational Settings. Learners will be required to implement a short project with young people to address a primary concern raised in a context or setting of their choice. Learners will use participatory methods to do research and identify concerns and problems in the chosen setting; develop an action plan; implement and evaluate their actions and interventions and report on the outcomes of the intervention and reflect on their role in the process. Learners who are employed in the youth sector may pursue a project related to their professional role, provided both the academic and work supervisors grant permission. However, students are not obligated to undertake their project within their existing organization or work place.
