New Zealand Diploma in Youth Work (Level 6)
This qualification will prepare you for a career as a Youth Worker within Aotearoa New Zealand. You’ll learn skills and techniques to support young people (12-24 years) and their whānau by helping them to develop quality relationships and providing guidance on education, training and employment.
Domestic
About the programme
Want to empower young people to live life to their full potential?
Youth development is about promoting young peoples’ personal and social development and enabling them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities, as well as in society as a whole.
Youth Workers support young people (12-24 years) and their whānau by helping them to develop quality relationships and to build healthy connections. They provide support, information and resources, help young people connect with specialist services (when necessary) and work to enhance connections in the community by planning, delivering and evaluating programmes and events for young people. Through guidance on education, training and employment, Youth Workers support and nurture positive youth development - often working collaboratively with other human service providers such as counsellors, social workers, psychologists and educators.
Our programme will prepare you to enter the workforce through a series of work placements. During one of these, you’ll lead and evaluate a youth development project. You’ll also build a network of contacts for when you graduate!
Your learning will prepare you for a career as a Youth Worker within Aotearoa New Zealand. Chances of getting a job are good due to the increasing demand for youth work services. And, with further training, youth workers can move into social work, counselling or teaching roles.
Other career options include Rangatahi Development Worker, Youth Advocate, Youth Facilitator, Youth Leader, Youth Pastor/Minister or a Youth Support Worker.
Studying part-time
We know that full-time study isn't always possible. We also offer this programme part-time, studied over four years.
International
About the programme
Want to empower young people to live life to their full potential?
Youth development is about promoting young peoples’ personal and social development and enabling them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities, as well as in society as a whole.
Youth Workers support young people (12-24 years) and their whānau by helping them to develop quality relationships and to build healthy connections. They provide support, information and resources, help young people connect with specialist services (when necessary) and work to enhance connections in the community by planning, delivering and evaluating programmes and events for young people. Through guidance on education, training and employment, Youth Workers support and nurture positive youth development - often working collaboratively with other human service providers such as counsellors, social workers, psychologists and educators.
Our programme will prepare you to enter the workforce through a series of work placements. During one of these, you’ll lead and evaluate a youth development project. You’ll also build a network of contacts for when you graduate!
Your learning will prepare you for a career as a Youth Worker within Aotearoa New Zealand. Chances of getting a job are good due to the increasing demand for youth work services. And, with further training, youth workers can move into social work, counselling or teaching roles.
Other career options include Rangatahi Development Worker, Youth Advocate, Youth Facilitator, Youth Leader, Youth Pastor/Minister or a Youth Support Worker.
Studying part-time
We know that full-time study isn't always possible. We also offer this programme part-time, studied over four years.
What You Study
Programme content
Our programme provides the training and education you need to ensure you meet the established industry competency standards for youth work.
You’ll graduate with the latest skills and knowledge about the youth development sector – understanding all about practices and resources that are useful for working with young people, youth culture and their communities, physical and mental health issues among youth, and laws and policies that affect young people.
During your study, you'll learn how to:
- Integrate youth development theories and models of practice in order to respond to the needs and aspirations of young people from diverse cultures and contexts.
- Apply safe, ethical, and professional youth work practices to ensure the safety and wellbeing of young people engaging in youth development activities.
- Provide young people with responsive and positive support informed by knowledge of the historical, socio-cultural, economic, and political factors impacting them.
- Select and apply a range of evidence-based practices informed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori to support the aspirations of young people and build community connections.
- Demonstrate leadership in a youth work and youth development context by leading and developing a youth development project.
- Reflect on and evaluate your own youth work practice in a supervision context and engage in self-care to achieve continuous improvement in your own practice.
This programme has a great mix of learning activities. These include:
- Classroom activities – lectures, tutorials, presentations
- Information gathering
- Online learning activities
- Workplace learning through work placement
- Guest speakers
- Field trips
- Project work
Courses
This programme has a total of 240 credits which are broken down into:
- 120 credits at Level 5
- 105 credits at Level 6
- 15 credits at Level 7
The Level 5 courses provide a strong foundation of knowledge, values, and skills for effective youth work practice. At Level 6, your focus will shift towards the theory that you’re learning being integrated with practice. You’ll also start to focus on the development of your own practice so you can make positive contributions to youth development. The Level 7 course, Managing Crisis, is included as it’s a critical component of youth work practice.
| Level 5 courses | |
|---|---|
| Understanding Youth Development Matua Mōhio ki te Ao Taiohi |
This course builds the foundation of youth development practice. It’s where you’ll first learn and engage with theories and cultural perspectives of human development. You’ll then use this knowledge to evaluate the key principles of positive youth development. |
| Understanding Youth Culture and Identity He Aronga ki te Ao Taiohi |
Learn about the whakapapa (history) of youth development practice and its relationship to ever-changing youth culture. You’ll have the chance to creatively reflect on your own identity and cultural development. |
| Building Intentional Relationships Te Hononga |
Be introduced to the importance of building quality relationships with young people. Develop your understanding of the difference between professional youth work and friendship, and learn about different strategies you can apply when working with young people e.g. coaching, mentoring. |
| Promoting Family, Whānau, and Community Cohesion He Haere Kōtui |
Learn about the importance of social environments and connectedness in the development of young people. |
| Assessing and Managing Risk Ngā Ᾱhuatanga o te Whakatonutanga |
Explore the impact of risk-taking behaviour and how this contributes positively and negatively to a person’s development. Learn how to describe the types and sources of risk for young people, identify triggers for high-risk behaviours, and understand how a youth development worker’s responsibilities and possible actions are limited by legal and ethical requirements. |
| Entering Professional Practice He Aronga ki te Ao Ngaio |
Learn how to describe the formation of your own identity and discuss how this has influenced the development of your practice. Be introduced to governing ethics, protocols, and laws, and the part these play in youth development. You’ll also discover how to manage your workload and own self-care to minimise personal risk in youth development work. |
| Introduction to Evidence-based Practice He Aronga ki te Ao Rangahau |
Build your foundational research literacy skills (including academic writing and presentation skills). |
| Te Reo Māori and Tikanga | Be introduced to oral and written Māori language, and build your awareness and experience of tikanga, especially regarding pōwhiri and mihi whakatau. |
| Level 6 courses | |
| Working with Groups Mahi Ngātahi |
Learn about different models and methods of group work in youth development. Discover how to facilitate groups to support young people’s development and use feedback, experience, and professional supervision to reflect on your own practice. |
| Supporting Youth Participation He Tautāwhi i te Whai Wāhitanga o te Taiohi |
Learn why young people have a right to have their voice heard in decisions that affect them and the obligations of professionals to hear them. Gain an understanding of how youth participation underpins positive youth development. Support a youth initiative during work experience and use the feedback from young people to reflect on your practice. |
| Developing Professional Practice Whakawhanake Ngaiotanga |
Develop a concept of your professional identity and your ability to work within the professional codes, conventions, legal requirements, professional values, and ethics of practice. This will build on your intentional and group facilitation skills and will demonstrate your ability to identify, analyse and question workplace ethics. |
| Design, Deliver and Evaluate Initiatives Whakarite Rautaki mō te Taiohi |
This course focuses on the importance of community engagement and building treaty-based partnerships through the delivery of positive youth development initiatives. Using feedback from young people, community members, and your supervisor, you’ll assess the design and delivery of initiatives and consider how the initiative could be improved in the future. |
| Enhancing Youth Resilience Kia Manawaroa te Taiohi |
Explore a holistic approach to understanding youth resilience. You’ll learn about the key internal and external factors that facilitate youth resilience and take these understandings to develop a plan for young people. |
| Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi Te Mana o te Tiriti |
Actively engage with and personalise the impacts of Te Tiriti o Waitangi on your life and your cultural identity. This then provides a base for you to explore what culturally appropriate youth development practice is within the context of the Treaty partnership. It involves 16 hours of noho marae experience. |
| Level 7 course | |
| Managing Crisis Tikanga Whakahaere Wā Mōrearea |
Learn about the impact of stress and crisis on young people. Using case studies and simulations, you’ll practice the skills you need to respond to young people and communities in crisis, and to support the uptake of positive coping strategies. |
Work placement information
During this programme, real and simulated workplace practice is used to ensure that you feel confident and prepared to be an effective youth worker. This are a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience of what youth work is really like and to start building some contacts for when you graduate.
You’ll undertake work placements with at least two different agencies (or two significantly different areas within the same agency). This will total 600 hours across the programme.
You’ll also need to engage in a professional supervision relationship with a qualified professional supervisor for (a minimum of) 8 hours across the programme.
Otago Polytechnic Youth Work staff will coordinate your work placements, professional conversations in the workplace, and the practical assessment of work-based tasks.
Further study options
To further your learning and practice, you could study the Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership at the University of Canterbury.
Workload
Your workload
You’ll be expected to spend about 16 hours a week in directed study (i.e. study directed by your teacher – classroom activities, group discussions, etc.). You’ll then also be expected to spend about the same amount of hours per week in self-directed study (i.e. study that you manage within your own time – research, assignments, etc.).
During the work placements, you'll also have to spend some time each week off-campus taking part in these at whichever agency you are placed with.
Entry
Entry requirements
- NCEA Level 3, New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 3) or equivalent qualification/work experience.
- You’ll need to have an interview so we can make sure this programme is the right fit for you.
- You’ll also need to complete a health screening, a safety check*, and submit referee reports.
- If English is not your first language, you must provide:
- New Zealand University Entrance OR
- Overall Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
- Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).
If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.
*The Children’s Act (2014) requires all students, who may work with children during their study, to be safety checked. Safety checking includes reference checking, work history, identity check, police vetting, and an overall assessment of the applicant’s safety to work with children.
Selection process
If the number of people who apply is bigger than the number of places we have available, applicants will be chosen in the order that they applied.
Don't meet the entry requirements?
No problem. You could begin with our New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4). This programme has an open academic entry (with other requirements like a police check) and will prepare you well to apply for this Youth Work Diploma the following year.
Covid-19 vaccination information
You don’t need to supply evidence of your Covid-19 vaccination status to apply for this programme. However, most placement providers will require evidence from you that you are fully vaccinated before allowing you to complete a placement at their organisation. Placements are an integral part of this programme and you’ll need to complete these to be able to successfully achieve your qualification.
Fees
Domestic fees
International fees
Fees Free
If you’re a domestic student and this is your first time doing tertiary study in New Zealand (over 60 credits at Level 3 or higher), you may be able to get your first year of tuition fees for free.
All the details and criteria are on the Fees Free website and you can check whether you’re going to be able to access funding by entering your National Student Number.
If you can access it, we’ll organise your fees with the Tertiary Education Commission when you’re enrolled to study with us. This funding doesn’t include additional costs or living costs.
Multi-year fees
The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied.
Studylink
Domestic full-time students can apply for a student loan through Studylink. Some support may be available for domestic part-time students. Apply at the same time as you apply for your course (you can withdraw your application anytime).
Student Services Fee
For most students, your tuition fee shown above includes a Student Services Fee – also known as the Student Levy. This compulsory fee covers your access to the student services we offer. This cost is tailored depending on how you're studying.
The international tuition fee does not include your Student Levy. This will be calculated when you enrol with us.
Click below to find out more about the Student Levy costs and services provided.
Application
How to apply
To begin your application, click the Apply button at the top of this page. You can upload documents directly into our application form.
You will need to include:
- Your academic records or proof of other relevant, equivalent experience.
- Current CV so we can see your work history.
- Referee report – this needs to be completed by someone who is willing to be your referee. Referees need to be over 16 and cannot be related to you, be a partner/spouse/friend or live at the same address as you. We will ask for your referee's contact details within the application form and then contact them on your behalf.
- Permission for Police Vetting to ensure you meet the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014. You'll need to tick a box within the application form to show us that you are happy for us to do this.
- Certified copies of proof of identity.
- Proof of residency (where appropriate).
A change for 2023 enrolments
When you apply to study with Otago Polytechnic in 2023, you will be enrolled with Te Pūkenga, the new national network of vocational and applied education in Aotearoa New Zealand. You will learn in the same way, in the same place, and with the same people, and you will graduate with a Te Pūkenga qualification.
Disclaimer
While every effort is made to ensure that this sheet is accurate, Otago Polytechnic reserves the right to amend, alter or withdraw any of the contained information. The fees shown in this document are indicative only. Both domestic and international fees are subject to change and are dependent on the development and implementation of Government policies. Please note that additional fees may from time to time be required for external examination, NZQA fees and/or additional material fees.
