Being a Youth Worker is believing you can, and wanting to, make a difference in the lives of young people.
Youth Workers are often those who have always been aware of others and the world around them and want to improve things.
As a child, they may have had a great sense of social justice and the confidence to do something about it – standing up for other kids, protecting animals, organising bake sales or selling their old toys to raise money for charity – you know, those kids?!
Others might have found their way to youth work through their professional career , life changes or may have grown up needing support services as a child and seen the difference it made and wanted to follow in those footsteps to return the favour to others who need help.
The role
The role of a Youth Worker is to advocate for young people, to give them the skills to advocate for themselves and find their place in society. Youth Workers also support young people in their own decision-making and facilitate their personal, social and educational development.
There are various pathways to becoming a Youth Worker, and Seek.com cover them here.
The personal satisfaction of knowing that you made a difference in youth work is vast; the role also comes with matching responsibilities, difficult situations and, more often than not, navigating the system.
Are you a solutionist?
Becoming an amazing Youth Worker means looking at the person in front of you and figuring out what they want and need now and in the future and how to get them there.
Accomplished Youth Workers are optimistic, fearless, motivated, resourceful, passionate and have excellent communication skills.
Do you have good boundaries?
Youth Workers burn up much energy trying to find solutions, and progress can be slow. Frustration and discouragement are common, particularly with those in the earlier stages of their careers. It is important, with all that passion, that Youth Workers are aware of, and maintain their own personal and professional boundaries.
Self-care is an essential survival skill in balancing work/life and preserving longevity in the career of a Youth Worker.
Our Youth Workers provide a vital contribution to our organisation, we couldn’t do what we do without them. Youth Workers can help young people feel understood and listened to at a time when they feel like they have the least control over their lives.
What we offer
- Career progression and training – the opportunity to build a career with a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making a difference.
- Salary packaging
- Employee Assistance Program – independent free counselling service
- An inclusive culture of dedicated, passionate and professional team members
What our clients say:
In a recent survey, 83% of our young people said they felt always or mostly supported by their Youth Worker. Comments from young people about their Youth Worker when asked how their Youth Worker could support them further were: ‘they did great’, ‘nothing, my support workers are the best’, ‘I receive great support’. You can read the entire report here.
