Skills you can develop Childhood and Youth Studies

Many radical changes are taking place in this area of work and there is great demand for higher level professional skills.

As well as the specific subject knowledge gained from studying for an OU degree, you'll develop many transferable and work-related skills that are highly valued by employers and which will increase your employability.

For Childhood and Youth students the employability skills you will develop that are highly valued by employers include:

• analysing, critically evaluating and effectively communicating information to others
• competence in team and project work, supporting and/or supervising others
• organising, synthesising and questioning opinions and arguments
• evaluating the appropriateness of different approaches to problem-solving
• managing and organising time, resources and information to support decision-making
• reflecting on your own learning and performance and taking steps to improve it
• using ICT effectively and being able to interpret data.

To see specific learning outcomes related to degrees in this area have a look at OU Childhood and Youth courses.

You will also find information about employability skills developed through study of specific degree subjects on the Prospects website.

The OU Careers and Employability Services define student employability as: 'A set of capabilities and achievements that support students in developing their careers, raising their aspirations and enhancing their contribution to society.'

Whatever your motivations for study, your goals and career aspirations, you are entitled to supported personal development planning either as an intrinsic part of your programme of study or through signposted optional activities. You can view the full Student Employability Policy Statement on our website.

If you're a registered OU student you can find further careers information tailored to your qualification at your Study Home site, under the Succeed tab.

I sometimes feared my brain had seized up. The Open University helped to open it up again.

Sarah Witts, Classroom Assistant

Student employment outcomes

According to our most recent 2022 Employability of Qualification Survey (EQS) survey of alumni (approximately 3 years after achieving their qualification) most students were employed in the education sector. Teaching remains the most popular destination for OU childhood and youth graduates although there is a diversity of roles our graduates are working in, including:

• Speech and Language Lead
• Higher Level Teaching Assistant
• Assistant SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator)
• Safeguarding Lead
• Teaching Assistant (Special educational needs and disabilities).

OU qualifications

Find out more about undergraduate study and postgraduate study in Childhood and Youth and about all undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications at OU Courses.