Diploma in Youth
in Development Work

Background

The Commonwealth Secretariat, through the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), has for the past twenty-one years run residential training courses for youth workers. The Regional Centres, Africa, Asia, Caribbean and South Pacific, play the key role in delivering these programmes, with the support and assistance of the Pan Commonwealth Office (PCO). For some time, the PCO and Regional Directors have been considering the future of these programmes. In 1995, at the Commonwealth Ministers meeting in Trinidad and Tobago, a mandate was agreed to restructure the training courses in such a manner that it opens up access to a wider audience. CYP responded to this challenge by developing an innovative partnership with 20 Commonwealth Universities and tertiary educational institutions and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). The collaboration between CYP, COL and Commonwealth educational institutions breaks new ground. Commonwealth member governments called for greater access to the highly valued CYP Diploma in Youth and Development Studies. Universiti Putra Malaysia, through the expertise in the Department  of Professional  Development and Continuing Education, was identified by the Commonwealth Secretariat as the main institution to provide and to confer the Diploma in Youth in Development Work to students and youth development workers in this region.

Justification

In Malaysia, the 15^th of May 1997 marked a remarkable shift in the approach of youth development in the country. On the launching of the Youth Day Celebration, a new strategy was announced in the reformation of Youth Movement, Youth Affairs and Youth Policy. This milestone calls for the upgrading of professionalism in Youth Work between the youth workers and youth leaders in all sectors (government, private and NGO) to be effective both locally and globally.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia  needs a local institution to train more professional youth workers to cope with the challenge ahead. At the same time, the Ministry was looking for a programme that is accredited and recognized that eventually provide the opportunity for the graduates to pursue further study locally and abroad. The offering of the Diploma in Youth in Development Work by Universiti Putra Malaysia is timely.

The Youth Development Studies Unit (YDSU), Department  of Professional  Development and Continuing Education, Universiti Putra Malaysia, has been contributing towards research and development in the areas of Youth Movement, Youth Affairs and Youth Policy at the national, regional and international arenas. Specific to CYP, the staffs of the department have a long-standing relationship as resource persons, researchers, facilitators and fellows. As for the department relationship with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, she has been placed as her major consultant since 1972.

Objectives of the programme

The objectives of offering the Diploma Programme in Youth and Development Work include:

1.       To equip the participants with knowledge, attitude and competencies in working with young people in a variety of settings, in managing and supporting other paid and volunteer workers and formulating policies in governmental and non-governmental agencies.

2.       To prepare the participants to empower young people to play an active and constructive role in
the regeneration of their fellow youth to become effective partners in development.

Scope and Strategy of the Programme

The conduct of the Diploma in Youth in Development Work employs the Off Campus based on action research learning strategies. This approach is expected to cater for the diverse areas, different needs and aspiration, cultures and traditions in the learning process; in offering the students broader understanding and insights.

Four forms of support will be available:

·     Curriculum Material - will be produced for each of the core modules.

·     Tutorial Support - will be provided by partner agencies, through computer and electronic based communication systems, and through arranged meetings with cluster group of students.  

·       Learning Contract - learners are required to engage in self directed learning.  

·       Practice Development - students will undertake supervised projects and practical pieces of work within an organization  

Duration of the Programme

The duration of the programme will not be more than two years.

Admission Requirements

·       Malaysian Certificate of Education or the equivalent

·       Having experience in working with youth, social work, extension work, human resource development and community development and the equivalent

·       Having general competency in the English Language

Tuition Fee

The fee may be payable on module by module (RM 350/module)  or semester by semester basis. The total fee is as follows:

Malaysians                       :          RM 6000.00  (£1000.00)

            International Student          :          RM 9000.00  (£1500.00)

Curriculum of the Programme

To reach the diploma level the students will need to accrue 17 courses which are presented in the form of modules. Specifically the modules are composed of 13 core modules, two regional modules (CYP - ASIA Centre modules) and two national modules (requirement courses for all programmes in Universiti Putra Malaysia). The core modules are :

Module 1:
Commonwealth Values in Youth in Development

Covers universal values associated with democratic and human rights principles,  and provides training in democratic styles of leadership, consensual decision-making, adapting to groups of differing backgrounds or with disabilities, ensuring equal participation by young women, and understanding different values, religions and traditions.

Module 2:
Young People and Society

Relates the theory and practice of youth in development work to the social context. It explores differences and commonalties in the transition from child to adult in different societies.  


Module 3:
Principles and Practice of Youth in Development Work

Focuses on the professional role of the practitioner, and the process of informal education. It analyses contemporary approaches - crisis intervention, prevention, empowerment, centralized and outreach work. The module includes project work in a youth organization.

Module 4:
Working with People in Their Communities

Builds knowledge and skills to work successfully with young individuals and groups. Youth in development is presented as a planned developmental process, and study includes the theory and practice of community development.

Module 5:
Gender and Development

Explores ways to ensure equality of outcomes for young women and men, covering the range of theoretical perspectives. It develops techniques to encourage equal participation by young women and skills in gender sensitive planning, implementation and evaluation.

Module 6:
Learning Processes

Centering on the youth in development work as an educator, it shows how people learn and how they can be helped to learn. It includes face-to-face work with young people in training situations.

Module 7:
Management Skills

Focusing in the youth in development work as a leader, it covers self-management, managing staff, organizational development, needs assessment and analysis, budgeting, scheduling and evaluation.

Module 8:
Project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Develops the knowledge and skills necessary to design, deliver and assess a project. It covers all the processes from identifying the need, through bidding for funds to bringing the project to self-sustainability

Module 9:
Policy, Planning and Implementation

Including an action research focus, this module develops skills in influencing policy making processes. It centres on the study of national youth policy - analysing existing policies and seeking ways to improve them or create new ones.

Module 10:
Conflict Resolution Strategies and Skills

Explores conflict, mediation and negotiation, studying the nature of competing perspectives - both among young and between youth and established society - and strategies to express differences positively and work towards consensus or accommodation.

Module 11:
Promoting Enterprise and Economic Development

Equips students with basic enterprise development skills; it gives a practical grounding in the opportunities and pitfalls of self-employment, in communication with and providing leadership among marginalised young men and women, so enabling graduates to provide training and support and to run projects in small-scale enterprise.

Module 12:
Youth and Health

Drawing on health issues of the region, this module covers sexual health, drug, nutrition and diet, exercise and healthy living. It also develops skills in fostering relationship.

Module 13:
Sustainable Development and Environment Issues

Shows how the youth in development work can stimulate awareness of environmental is sues among young people and help them make an active contribution to sustainable development.

Modules 14:  
Youth and Population and Family Life Education               

Theory and concepts related to population and family life; environmental, development and social issues associated with population dynamics; puberty and related changes in youth; sexuality and sexual behaviours of youth; roles and responsibilities of youth as members of a family; and values and ethics of caring society.

Modules 15:
Youth Personality Development and Communication      

Theory and concepts of self and personality; negative emotions and intrapersonal conflicts; factors influencing personality development; counseling skills in developing personality; and interpersonal communication skills.

Modules 16:
Islamic Civilization

Islam as Religion and civilization; Basic concept, criteria and major characteristic; Islamic world view; the concept of ruling and administration in Islam; the philosophy of Islamic science and technology and its related fields; the concept and achievement of Islamic architecture and environmental planning in Islam; Islam and contemporary issues.

Modules 17:
Malaysian Nationhood

Nation’s history: The struggle for independence, the formation of the federation of Malaysia; Plural society: history, characteristic and problems; System of parliamentary democracy; Electoral system; The Malaysian Constitution; Rukun Negara; The Constitutional  Monarchy; Public Administration; The New Economic Policy; National Social Policies; Vision 2020  

Modules offering by semester

 
Diploma for All

The remodeled Diploma in Youth in Development Work is a long awaited programme in Malaysia and the Commonwealth. There is a need for an accredited youth resource development programme to prepare professionals to empower the young people to be effective-partner in development. This unique professional Diploma is for concerned planner, leader, mentor, facilitator, teacher, social development worker, change agent and others whose clients include young people.

Opportunities for Academic Advancement

Graduates of the Diploma programme will be able to pursue further education in related fields in selected tertiary partner institutions of the Commonwealth. Selected tertiary institutions include:

Britain

University of  Huddersfield
School of Education  
Hollybank Road  
Huddersfield HD3 3bp

Australia

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
Department of Justice and Youth  
PO Box 71, Bundoora  
Victoria

South Pacific

University of South Pacific  
Department of Sociology and University Extension  
PO Box 1168, Suva, 
Fiji

Malaysia

Department of  Professional Development and Continuing Education
Faculty of Educational Services
Universiti Putra Malaysia

In UPM, opportunities are available for the graduates to pursue higher degrees (Bachelor, Master and  Doctoral programme) in Youth Studies and related disciplines.

India

Indira Ghandi National University (IGNU)  
School  of Continuing Education  
Maidan Garhi, New  Delhi 110068

South Africa

University of South Africa (UNISA)  
Institute for Continuing Education  
PO Box 392, Pretoria 0003

West Indies

University of West Indies (UWI)  
School of Continuing Studies  

In collaboration with

Ministry of Youth and Sports  
International Youth Centre Foundation  
Commonwealth Youth Programme London  
Commonwealth of Learning London  
Commonwealth Youth Programme ASIA  Centre  
Participating Commonwealth Universities

For more information please contact:

Youth Development Studies Unit (YSDU)
Department of Professional Development and Continuing Education
Faculty of Educational Studies
UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA  
43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan  
Malaysia

Tel : 03 – 89486101 (10 lines) ext  8246/8229

Fax : 03 – 89450455

E-mail : srh@ace.upm.edu.my

http://www.ace.upm.edu.my/~youth/