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Building a career working with children and young people
This career guide is designed to help University of Portsmouth students and recent graduates explore job options, key employers, and entry routes related to working with children and young people.
Working with children and young people can be a challenging but rewarding career and the diversity of the sectors you could work in offers the opportunity to gain a wide range of experience.
Achieving a degree in childhood and youth studies, education or other humanity-based subjects can open up numerous opportunities across different sectors. Such degrees offer excellent foundations for careers working with children and young people in areas such as early years, youth and community work, education, health or social care. You could consider hands-on roles in schools and nurseries, outreach work in local communities, supporting families through social care, or even shaping policy and practice in education - the possibilities are exciting and varied.
This guide has been broken down into four main areas – early years, youth and community work, health and social care and education. If you are specifically interested in teaching, please refer to our Teaching career guide for more in- depth information.
In this guide:
Potential Job Roles
Prospects has a useful list of job profiles each containing relevant information about key responsibilities, skill requirements, starting salaries, entry requirements and career prospects with links to major employers and current graduate vacancies. Some roles within this sector include:
Professional Qualifications
Some career paths associated with working with children and young people will require you to undertake some further qualifications. See below for common career paths, which require specific qualifications, related to Early Years, Youth Work, Health and Social Care and Education (although this is not an exhaustive list):
Early Years
To become a qualified Early Years Teacher, you will need to complete an Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) course, to achieve Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). You will also need to pass an enhanced DBS check.
Check the list of accredited training providers who offer EYITT courses.
Youth Work
Many people start out as a Youth Support Worker, before becoming a qualified Youth Worker. To become a Youth Worker, you will need to undertake a professional qualification in Youth Work, recognised by the National Youth Agency.
Check the list of recognised Youth Work courses for more information.
Health and Social Care
Social work is a graduate profession, so you will need an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in the subject to be able to practise as a Social Worker.
Look for an approved course on the Social Work UK website.
If you wish to study and work at the same time whilst training to be a social worker, there are several programmes which offer this:
- Step Up to Social Work – the information provided through the GOV.UK website explains what qualifications and experience you need to apply for this intensive full-time training programme, which covers everything trainee social workers need to know in 14 months. The scheme only accepts applications every two years, and applications for the 2026 programme are currently closed.
- Frontline – is a charity offering a programme to high potential graduates and career changers to become front line children's social workers as part of their two-year leadership programme.
Education
To become a Primary or Secondary School Teacher, you will need to gain Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) status via completing one of the following:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
- Schools Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
- School Direct (salaried)
Look at our Teaching Career Guide for more information on how to qualify as a teacher.
Gaining Experience
If you haven’t had previous experience of working in relevant sectors, it will be essential to gain some voluntary or paid experience working with children, young people and their families or related support work.
Engaging in relevant opportunities will enable you to get a clearer understanding of the nature of the work carried out across different organisations and services. It will also increase your knowledge of the range of challenges you may encounter; how you might respond; and the necessary skills you will need to develop when you start looking for permanent employment.
Types of opportunities
Placements will give you a long-term look at an organisation, and help you to build contacts and experience.
On some degrees, work placements are part of the programme, whilst on others you can choose to complete a placement as one of your modules. To learn more about completing a placement, you can contact the Placements team in Careers and Employability.
Getting involved in volunteering allows you to develop employability skills and experience a variety of working environments to assist you in discovering the right career path for you. It provides the chance to network, meet new friends and boost your confidence. If you choose to commit a significant amount of time and impress the organisation during your volunteering, they may also provide you with a professional reference.
The Careers and Employability Service offers current students and graduates access to a Virtual Volunteering Bank, which provides local opportunities to undertake alongside your studies.
Internships are usually for a fixed period and give you more hands-on experience. Many employers will treat interns in the same way as full-time employees, so when future job roles ask for 'at least one year's experience' you can include an internship in this type of experience.
Area specific experience
Different roles working with children and young people require tailored experience. Use the information below to help you target your search for relevant opportunities:
Early Years
To work as an Early Years Practitioner, you'll need experience supporting and encouraging learning through play and early education. Focus on opportunities that build your understanding of literacy, numeracy, language development and activity planning, Experience observing and monitoring children's progress will be particularly valuable.
Where to gain experience: classrooms, playgroups, play schemes, children's centres
Youth and Community work
Substantial experience - either paid or voluntary - is essential, especially if you plan to progress into professional training. This can also lead to recognised Youth Work Practice qualifications. Focus on work experience opportunities that allow you to support young people's personal, social and educational development, this could be gained from a variety of settings.
Where to gain experience: youth centres, schools, colleges, community or faith-based groups
Health and Social Care
Many degrees related to this sector will include mandatory placements that will allow you to gain experience alongside your qualification. However, if you are looking to secure a place on a social work degree or postgraduate course, then a substantial amount of experience will be necessary to strengthen your application. Aim for roles that demonstrate your ability to support vulnerable individuals and work in community settings.
Where to gain experience: youth clubs, care homes, healthcare settings, after-school clubs, charities, or community projects
Tip: If you are already undertaking a Social Work degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) The Prince’s Trust offer a 12-week placement programme to gain valuable experience
Education
Whether you’re interested in getting directly into teaching or you are looking to work with children and young people in other educational environments, such as within arts, heritage and culture, gaining direct experience with learners will enable you to explore your options.
Where to gain experience: schools, arts/heritage settings, after school clubs
Tip: Find more specific information about finding school-based experience in our dedicated Teaching Career Guide.
Where to find opportunities
Some key platforms for finding work experience in all sectors include MyCareer, HigherIn, Bright Network and Targetjobs.
For opportunities within the sector, look at sites such as:
- Getting information about schools - for a list of educational establishments in England and Wales
- Becoming a University Ambassador - support outreach activities with young people to inspire them to consider university as an option
- MyCareer Volunteering Bank - our volunteering team advertises a range of voluntary roles that will allow you to gain experience with children and young people
Finding a Graduate Job
Graduates wanting to work with children and young people enter a variety of sectors with a range of employers.
We recommend starting your search using our online jobs board, MyCareer. You can also find general online job boards and advice through our Graduate Jobs page.
Youth and community work
Health and Social Care
Are you looking for a role in Hampshire? Our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy can help!
If you're in the final year of your degree, you can register for support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy. They work with over 3,000 employers in the local area to place our students into fantastic graduate careers.
Speculative applications
Speculative applications involve sending a CV and cover letter to an employer to ask if they have any vacancies, even if the company is not currently advertising for a role. They're a great way to access "hidden jobs" that go unadvertised.
Submitting a speculative application shows your interest in a specific company and your willingness to go above and beyond to develop your skills and understanding of the industry.
Keeping up to date
Below are some key resources to help you research opportunities available
- Children & Young People Now – a dedicated magazine/website for professionals working with children, young people and families. It covers childcare and early years, education, health, social care, youth justice and youth work.
- Guardian - Young People - site where you can keep up to date with the latest news in the sector
- Nursery World – offers news and best practice in childcare, EYFS and early years education. The site also advertises job opportunities in the sector.
- Department for Education – provides helpful information about training routes to become an early years teacher. The site also outlines the different skills and standards required in the role.
- Early Years Careers - information from the UK government about working in early years, including different job roles to explore and qualifications needed
- National Youth Agency – the national body for youth work offers resources, a blog from professionals, information on policies and practice and the opportunity to sign up to a monthly newsletter.
- UK Youth – works to better the lives of young people through an extensive network of youth development organisations. The site offers the latest news across the youth work sector and a blog addressing current issues.
- Health & Care Professions Council – a regulatory body covering occupations such as social workers, practitioner psychologists and speech and language therapists. The site offers information on professional regulations and standards, as well as updates on campaigns and events.
- Health Careers – provides information about a career in health, how the health sector is structured and specific information about careers in the NHS and public health.
- British Association of Social Workers – the largest professional association for social work in the UK, which aims to promote the best possible social work services for all individuals. The site offers specific information about building a career as a social worker, including the opportunity to browse job vacancies.
- Times Educational Supplement – provides the latest news, teaching resources and discussion from the teaching world. The TES also advertises jobs in teaching and lecturing and leadership opportunities.
- Department for Education – responsible for education, children’s services and higher and further education policy. The site provides information on the latest news, publications and statistics.
- Targetjobs – What else can I do with an education degree? – provides an overview of popular career paths outside of classroom teaching and different employers to consider
- Education Alternatives publication from AGCAS publication written by experienced university careers advisers and full of inspirational, relevant and up-to-date advice. There is also a podcast version.
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