FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I become a qualified Youth and Community Worker?

If you are interested in studying youth work, it is important that you find a Youth Work university course that is validated professionally and that is Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) recognised. These courses will give you the status of professional youth worker. An updated list of these can be found on the National Youth Agency website (www.nya.org.uk) or via UCAS.

There are a number of routes to professional qualification.

These include:

Degree
Graduate certificate
Postgraduate diploma / master’s degree

Should you be interested in qualifying as a Youth Worker, please don’t hesitate to contact us should you require any further information or advice.

How much Annual Leave will I get?

On appointment, Youth & Community Workers are entitled to 30 days annual leave a year rising to 35 days after 5 years of service.

What is the current pay scale for a Youth & Community Worker?

As a fully JNC qualified Youth & Community Worker there is an 8 point scale with the current starting salary as £25,225, £26,367, £29,604, £32,193, £34,865, £38,088, £41,106, £42,451.

Senior Youth Worker and Principal Youth Worker posts can be applied for after a minimum of 5 years’ experience as a full time Youth & Community Worker as and when vacancies are released.

What hours will I be working?

Youth & Community Workers are contracted to work 37 hours a week which includes evenings and weekends. Youth & Community Workers are responsible for youth club evening sessions and weekend work which may involve coordinating events, day time or evening activities, overnight residential trips etc...

Other roles In the Youth Service:

Youth Support Workers (Part Time- as and when required)

Most people enter Youth Work as either a volunteer or a paid worker/apprentice and are typically called youth support workers.

What qualifications do I need to become a Youth Support Worker?

Level 2 or 3 qualification or a diploma in Youth Work
Local certificate ‘Introduction to understanding Youth Work Skills’. Training details below in ‘Trainee youth Support worker’ section.

What skills do I need to be a Youth Support Worker?

You'll need to show:

A strong commitment to young people and an understanding of the factors affecting their lives
The ability to provide reliable support to young people and act with integrity in times of stress
Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish good relationships with young people
The ability to treat young people's concerns with respect, tact and sensitivity, while being aware of the limits that are required by confidentiality and the boundaries that govern the youth/youth worker relationship.

What is the current pay scale for a youth support worker?

Upon successful completion of training youth support workers are employed on a part time government contract, as and when required, working between 3 – 15 hours per week. The current rate of pay is £11.59 per hour.

What hours will I be working?

Most working hours for youth support workers are during youth club hours ranging from 4-8:30pm. Youth support staff will also be given the opportunity to work weekends (during the day and evening) and overnight stays. In addition, a select number of youth support staff are given the opportunity to support day time work during the week on projects at local schools and lunch time sessions.

What type of work is delivered at youth clubs?

A variety of project work, issue based workshops, sporting activities, informal education topics, debates, fundraising initiatives, community based work.

What ages do you work with?

We work with broad age ranges at the four different youth clubs in Gibraltar. Ages 7–10 and 11 – 25.

Can I apply to other Government jobs?

Yes. If you have completed 52 weeks of continuous work within the Youth Service you become eligible to apply for internal Government positions.

Can I apply for a full time Youth Worker post as a Youth Support Worker?

You need to be fully qualified in order to apply for any full time Youth Worker post within Gibraltar and the United Kingdom in general. You can move on to gain a professional level youth work qualification such as:

BA (Hons): three years full time (and part time equivalent) – level 6
MA: one year (and part time equivalent) – level 7

These courses are offered by universities or colleges of higher education. Your course will need to be ‘JNC recognised’and validated by the National Youth Agency for you to gain the status of qualified youth worker.

JNC recognition ensures your degree reflects the current demands of the role and that the course delivers a suitable level of work experience too. You cannot change the status of your degree later so think carefully before embarking on a course of study which is not JNC recognised. Should you require more information on this, please contact us.

Volunteers

How do I become a volunteer for the Youth Service?

The application process to become a volunteer for the service is as follow:

Fill out an application form found on our website www.youth.gi or collect from our office at Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road (opposite Gib Oil petrol station).
Secure 2 references
Complete a police vetting form
If you have lived outside of Gibraltar these Police Checks needs to be requested by yourself from your country of origin and where you have lived in the past 10 years.
Interview with Youth Service staff.

Trainee Youth Support Workers

How do I apply for the training?

The application process to become a trainee youth support worker for the service is as follow:

Fill out an application form found on our website www.youth.gi or collect from our office at Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road (opposite Gib Oil petrol station).
Secure 2 references
Complete a police vetting form
If you have lived outside of Gibraltar these Police Checks needs to be requested by yourself from your country of origin and where you have lived in the past 10 years.
Interview with Youth Service staff.

What does the training entail?

Trainees have the choice of two routes, assessed and non-assessed route. Both involve face to face work soon after an initial introduction to Youth Work aims and objectives and Youth Work delivery.

The assessed route will require the trainee to evidence a set of core Youth Work skills and develop relevant social educational projects. Successful completion of these will result in the award of a local certificate in an ‘introduction to understanding Youth Work Skills’.

How long is the training?

The training period runs for approximately 6 – 9 months during which time trainees will have the opportunity to work alongside full and part time staff in a variety of youth work scenarios. The commitment would be once a week at a youth club for a 3 hour period. In addition, there are 10 workshops delivered within the 6-9 month period in conjunction with the course.

The training offers an ideal opportunity for those who wish to work with young people and with a commitment to their education and welfare.

I would like a career in youth work – how do I become qualified?

Take a look at our website www.youth.gi. You’ll find information on our training routes to being a youth support worker. Come and meet us at our office for an informal discussion – we’re based at Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road (opposite Gib Oil petrol station).