Youth Work Apprentice

Summary

Join Gateway College, located in Hamilton, which is near Leicester, as a Youth Work Apprentice and start building a rewarding career supporting young people. You'll gain hands-on experience while learning from a passionate team. This is a real opportunity to grow your skills and take the first step toward a long-term career in youth work.

Wage

£12,563.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

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Training course

Youth support worker (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday, official working hours to be confirmed, term time only, plus one week (40 weeks per year). 37 hours per week during term time.

32 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 26 August 2025

Duration

1 year 3 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Are you passionate about making a real difference in young people’s lives? Gateway College is offering an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Youth Work Apprentice—a fantastic first step towards a long-term career in youth work.

As a Youth Work Apprentice, you'll be working with young people aged 11–25 (mainly 11–19), helping to support their personal, social and educational development. You'll be based in a variety of youth work settings, such as youth clubs, schools, community projects or outreach programmes. You'll help create a safe, inclusive and supportive environment where young people feel heard and empowered.

What you’ll be doing:

Supporting the planning and delivery of youth work projects and sessions
Helping young people build confidence, develop life skills and get involved in their communities
Building positive, professional relationships with young people based on trust and respect
Encouraging youth voice and active participation in activities and decisions
Working alongside professionals like youth workers, teachers, police, and social care teams
Taking part in outreach or detached work in the community, including evenings and weekends
Supporting with safeguarding, health and safety, and equal opportunities policies
Assisting with the coordination of volunteers, sessional staff and peer educators

What we’re looking for:

A positive, caring attitude and a genuine interest in supporting young people
Good communication and teamwork skills
Willingness to learn and take on new challenges
Ability to follow guidance and maintain professional boundaries
Someone who’s organised, reliable, and motivated to grow in the role

This apprenticeship offers hands-on experience, on-the-job training, and support from experienced youth workers. You’ll also gain a recognised qualification and set yourself up for a long-term career in youth work or related fields such as social care, education, or youth justice.

If you're ready to start a meaningful journey supporting young people to thrive, we’d love to hear from you!

Where you'll work

Gateway College
Colin Grundy Drive
Leicester
LE5 1GA

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

SKILLS OFFICE NETWORK LTD

Your training course

Youth support worker (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Recognise, manage and reflect upon relational boundaries in professional youth support work
Communicate with stakeholders - internal and/or external
Facilitate the learning and development of young people
Encourage the participation of young people in developing their own learning
Facilitate activities and techniques to use with young people that promote self-confidence and build self-esteem and resilience
Reflect individually and through supervision on practice in line with daily tasks to enhance the support young people receive
Monitor and record the outcomes of own practice to identify areas for development and improvement
Appropriately manage behaviour boundaries in line with organisational policies
Plan youth support work programmes and sessions
Lead youth support work programmes and sessions
Evaluate youth support work programmes and sessions
Enable young people to express their views, aspirations, needs and concerns appropriately in line with youth support work principles
Identify, appropriately challenge and act upon oppressive or discriminatory attitudes, behaviours and situations
Support young people to participate in planning, organising, delivering and evaluating youth work activities and programmes, and engaging on issues of importance to them
Embeds in own practice a commitment to the rights of young people
Apply safeguarding procedures and protocols
Work within the parameters of organisational, local and national health and safety, child protection, data protection and equalities policies and procedures
Participate in risk assessments and manage risk and risk benefits within the workplace
Record all health and safety risks and take the correct actions to ensure the safety of all young people
Complete administrative responsibilities e.g., signing in young people, risk assessments and recording activities
Manage budgets and resources
Manage individuals in line with organisational procedures
Work with and maintain professional behaviour boundaries when working with young people
Recognise, manage and reflect upon relational boundaries in professional youth support work
Communicate with stakeholders - internal and/or external
Facilitate the learning and development of young people
Encourage the participation of young people in developing their own learning
Facilitate activities and techniques to use with young people that promote self-confidence and build self-esteem and resilience
Reflect individually and through supervision on practice in line with daily tasks to enhance the support young people receive
Monitor and record the outcomes of own practice to identify areas for development and improvement
Appropriately manage behaviour boundaries in line with organisational policies
Plan youth support work programmes and sessions
Lead youth support work programmes and sessions
Evaluate youth support work programmes and sessions
Enable young people to express their views, aspirations, needs and concerns appropriately in line with youth support work principles
Identify, appropriately challenge and act upon oppressive or discriminatory attitudes, behaviours and situations
Support young people to participate in planning, organising, delivering and evaluating youth work activities and programmes, and engaging on issues of importance to them
Embeds in own practice a commitment to the rights of young people
Apply safeguarding procedures and protocols
Work within the parameters of organisational, local and national health and safety, child protection, data protection and equalities policies and procedures
Participate in risk assessments and manage risk and risk benefits within the workplace
Record all health and safety risks and take the correct actions to ensure the safety of all young people
Complete administrative responsibilities e.g., signing in young people, risk assessments and recording activities
Manage budgets and resources
Manage individuals in line with organisational procedures
Work with and maintain professional behaviour boundaries when working with young people

Your training plan

This training plan has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English Literature or Language (grade 4 (C) above or equivalent)
Mathematics (grade 4 (C) above or equivalent)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Administrative skills
Team working
Initiative
Non judgemental
Patience

About this company

At Gateway College, we’re proud of the support we give every student, and that extra push to help you go beyond your best. As an apprentice here, you’ll benefit from our strong network of former students, employers, and universities. They offer real-world insight, work experience, guest talks, and mentoring—all designed to support your growth and help you succeed in your career.

https://gateway.ac.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

As a Youth Work Apprentice, you’re taking the first step toward a rewarding career. Once you complete your training, you could move into a Youth Support Worker role or go on to qualify as a professional Youth Worker. Over time, there are opportunities to specialise or take on leadership roles in youth services, education, or community work.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is: