Become a Professional Child and Youth Worker in Three Years
"A lot of what attracts people to this field is that they've had
horrible situations and they want to change things,"says Colleen Camps
of the Child and Youth Worker program at Centennial College. Camps is
correct as this field entails professionals protecting children while
encouraging their growth. Therefore, compassion, professionalism and
personal experience can actually benefit those who want to work as Child
and Youth Workers. However, training must first be obtained by
attending a post-secondary institution such as Centennial College.
A
three-year program, the Child and Youth Worker undertaking teaches
students everything from learn principles and philosophies to
characteristics of relational child and youth work practice such as
co-creating relationships, working developmentally and understanding
professional boundaries. "I've learned a lot about therapy, behaviour,
why kids or people in general behave the way they do,"says Sue-Ann
Williams, a student in the offering. "Some things that may seem like
common sense before you come into the program, once you get into the
program, you realize there's a lot of research and theory behind it.”
Williams
is referring to the wide-range of courses in which students partake,
including: Developmental Issues In Childhood and Adolescence (examines,
identifies, and describes child and adolescent development from a
chronological perspective, beginning with conception to the periods of
infancy, childhood and adolescence); Principles of Psychology (goal is
to enable learners to view their lives and interactions from a
psychological perspective, employing scientific methods and research
information); Multimodal Therapies in Child & Youth Work (designed
to explore a variety of approaches to the treatment of children and
youth. The course will focus on a cognitive behavioural based framework,
within which diverse modes of treatment will be introduced including
such topics as art, children's literature, music, movement, Television
and other media); and more.
The other vital aspect of the Child
and Youth Worker program is that all three years feature field
placements that vary between two and four days per week. Centennial
College requires students to have a vulnerable sector criminal check
prior to field placement. Certain criminal convictions will disallow
placement in these agencies and program completion may not be possible.
Students must also possess a standard first aid and heart saver AED (C)
certification. Lastly for placement, a medical certificate of health is
necessary to ensure freedom of communicable disease. The varying
placements give students the advantage of experiencing a multitude of
job settings by the time they graduate. In addition, supplemental
training is provided in Understanding & Managing Aggressive
Behaviour (UMAB).
Applicants to the Child
and Youth Worker program must possess an Ontario Secondary
School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Also
required are compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment or
equivalent. Lastly, English proficiency will be considered and a program
admission session will be required. Possession of minimum admission
requirements does not guarantee admission to the Child and Youth Worker
program.
Upon graduation students are employed with agencies that
work with troubled youths and their families are in desperate need of
professionally trained child and
youth workers. These agencies include: residential, day
treatment, community-based and young offender programs, hospitals,
crisis centres and shelters as well as schools.
