Youth programme director

Youth programme directors develop and implement programmes and policies to improve and ensure youths’ well-being. They facilitate communication with and between educational, recreational, counselling or other youth related institutions, organise events for youths and families, and promote social mobility and awareness.

The following job titles also refer to youth programme director:

youth development programme coordinator
youth development director
inclusion director
youth mentoring director
youth development program coordinator
youth program director
youth programme coordinator
youth program coordinator

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as youth programme director. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Youth programme director is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to youth programme director.

sports programme coordinator
social security administrator
community development officer
city councillor
social service consultant

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of youth programme director. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of youth programme director with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of youth programme director.

Impact of social contexts on health: The social and cultural contexts of individuals` behaviours, and the impact on their health within their social and cultural context.
Adolescent psychological development: Understand the developments and the development needs of children and young persons, observing the behaviour and the attachment relationships in order to detect developmental delay.
Pedagogy: The discipline that concerns the theory and practice of education including the various instructional methods for educating individuals or groups.

These skills are necessary for the role of youth programme director.

Maintain relations with local representatives: Maintain good relations with representatives of the local scientific, economic and civil society.
Liaise with local authorities: Maintain the liaison and exchange of information with regional or local authorities.
Establish collaborative relations: Establish a connection between organisations or individuals which may benefit from communicating with one another in order to facilitate an enduring positive collaborative relationship between both parties.
Maintain relationships with government agencies: Establish and maintain cordial working relationships with peers in different governmental agencies.
Promote social change: Promote changes in relationships between individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities by taking into consideration and coping with unpredictable changes, at the micro, macro and mezzo level.
Promote the safeguarding of young people: Understand safeguarding and what should be done in cases of actual or potential harm or abuse.
Develop a pedagogical concept: Develop a specific concept that describes the educational principles on which the organisation is based, and the values and behaviour patterns it advocates.
Promote social awareness: Promote the understanding of dynamics of social relationships between individuals, groups, and communities. Promote the importance of human rights, and positive social interaction, and the inclusion of social awareness in education.
Analyse goal progress: Analyse the steps which have been taken in order to reach the organisation’s goals in order to assess the progress which has been made, the feasibility of the goals, and to ensure the goals can be met according to deadlines.
Analyse community needs: Identify and respond to specific social problems in a community, delineating the extent of the problem and outline the level of resources required to address it and identifying the existing community assets and resources that are available to address the problem.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of youth programme director. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Project management principles: Different elements and phases of project management.
Government policy implementation: The procedures related to the application of government policies at all levels of public administration.
Budgetary principles: Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of youth programme director. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Work within communities: Establish social projects aimed at community development and active citizen participation.
Build community relations: Establish affectionate and long-lasting relationships with local communities, e.g. by organising special programms for kindergarden, schools and for dissabled and older people, raising awareness and receiving community appreciation in return.
Communicate on the youth’s well-being: Communicate on the youth’s behaviour and welfare with parents, schools and other people in charge of the youth’s upbringing and education.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Develop educational resources: Create and develop educational resources for visitors, school groups, families and special interest groups.
Communicate with media: Communicate professionally and present a positive image while exchanging with media or potential sponsors.
Apply strategic thinking: Apply generation and effective application of business insights and possible opportunities, in order to achieve competitive business advantage on a long-term basis.
Show intercultural awareness: Show sensibility towards cultural differences by taking actions which facilitate positive interaction between international organisations, between groups or individuals of different cultures, and to promote integration in a community.
Set organisational policies: Participate in setting organisational policies that cover issues such as participant eligibility, program requirements, and program benefits for the service users.
Delegate activities: Delegate activities and tasks to others according to the ability, level of preparation, competence and legal scope of practice. Make sure that people understand what they should do and when they should do it.
Develop professional network: Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.
Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
Propose leisure activities: Propose appropriate recreational activities based on the targeted public’s behaviour and wishes.

1344 – Social welfare managers

 

 

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References

1. Youth programme director – ESCO