Training Youth Workers

Connect Trainees are recruited through South West Youth Ministries [SWYM] and can sign up for a one, two or four year course, depending on what level of study you choose to take.

Becoming a Trainee Youth Worker

If you relate well to young people and enjoy their company, have a growing personal faith in Jesus Christ and are willing to learn, then you have just about everything you need to become a successful Connect Trainee. It’s an exciting and demanding role requiring personal initiative, resilience and a strong commitment to these three big areas: –

• Working with schools and churches to develop a positive Christian presence.
• Identifying the needs of young people and initiating projects and opportunities to build relationships and enable social interaction.
• Developing links between local churches and other stakeholder organisations to promote the Christian faith.

A Trainee’s Week

Needless to say, each week is different but, as a guide, usually in your 40 hour week there will be about 10 hours for study on SWYM’s ‘Be Transformed’ programme along with professional development and direction meetings with your line manager and mentor. 18 hours (or 3 days) will be for schools-based-work with the remaining 12 hours for outreach, youth work projects and church-based involvement, depending on local circumstances.