New Zealand’s First Youth Work Degree

Students Graduate with New Zealand’s First Youth Work Degree

Youth worker Jessie Hitchcock is among the first cohort of students to complete the ground-breaking new Bachelor of Youth Development at Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec).

Jessie graduates at WelTec’s Wellington graduation ceremony on Tuesday 14 April at the Michael Fowler Centre.

Jessie works at Vibe, a Wellington youth health service.

“The Bachelor of Youth Development has been incredibly beneficial for my career,” says Jessie, “And I’m building up a professional network for the future. I may even move into the area of justice and youth policy. It’s wide open and new, and a really exciting time in the field,” she says.

The Bachelor of Youth Development is the only degree of its kind in New Zealand. Traditionally professionals working with young people have been broadly trained as social workers, which runs the risk of glossing over the challenges and issues that adolescents and young adults uniquely face.

Jessie is already applying the new skills she has been learning over the last three years. The programme involves ongoing work experience placements and professional supervision, “The degree is absolutely relevant and I’ve used it on a daily basis. I’m learning how to reflect on my own performance in my practice, and to keep on evaluating it.”

The design of the Bachelor of Youth Development facilitates flexible study which can be done in the workplace and online, with regular face to face workshops. From July this year, it will be on offer to students all over New Zealand, starting with the South Island, where the association of Youth Work Professionals in Christchurch has offered its network as a support system.

MaryLou Sloane, Head of the School of Health and Social Services, says the degree is helping to make youth development a professional career option.

“There are estimated to be 3000 youth workers employed in New Zealand and many volunteers. We’re helping to improve youth work practice and the skill level of practitioners,” she says.

At graduations in Wellington and Auckland this week eighteen students will achieve their Bachelor of Youth Development.

ENDS

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