Diploma and level 7 course

blahblahbla

I am thinking of going back to collage as I want to change jobs and focus on support worker roles. Lots of the jobs I see advertised are looking for a social care degree. I am currently working in a support role relating to mental health and have gained good experience. This role is dependent on funding and will finish soon. However I do not meet the criteria for other jobs in this area as I do not have a relevant degree. I have an Arts degree but the jobs advertised look for a relevant health, social care or youth and community development degree. The most transferable degree for the sector seems to be the social care degree.


Since I am still working and will need to continue working I can only do part time education. I saw some course that would offer a Diploma qualification (Level 7).
However I don't see many jobs where people look for diplomas usually they require a degree (Level 8) instead.

Do you think a diploma is worth it, is it enough on top of a regular Arts degree?

dar100

blahblahbla wrote: »

I am thinking of going back to collage as I want to change jobs and focus on support worker roles. Lots of the jobs I see advertised are looking for a social care degree. I am currently working in a support role relating to mental health and have gained good experience. This role is dependent on funding and will finish soon. However I do not meet the criteria for other jobs in this area as I do not have a relevant degree. I have an Arts degree but the jobs advertised look for a relevant health, social care or youth and community development degree. The most transferable degree for the sector seems to be the social care degree.


Since I am still working and will need to continue working I can only do part time education. I saw some course that would offer a Diploma qualification (Level 7).
However I don't see many jobs where people look for diplomas usually they require a degree (Level 8) instead.

Do you think a diploma is worth it, is it enough on top of a regular Arts degree?

Apply for the jobs, lots of organisations will still hire you. Maybe start some course in the mean time on a part time basis, your woek experience will stand for you when going for these positions

Tom Dunne

Just be careful with the wording. There is no longer such thing as a diploma at Level 7, it's now and Ordinary degree. So if you see some institution offering a diploma, it may be their own award, of questionable value in the jobs market.

Do it part-time in the evening, most colleges offer this option. And yes, Level 8 is increasingly the minimum requirement in the jobs market.

FizzleSticks

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Tom Dunne

FizzleSticks wrote: »

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Are you sure about this? Any conversion course I am familiar with are Level 8.

Can I ask where you are doing a Level 7 Diploma and what course it is? I have a genuine interest (I work in the field).

dar100

Conversion courses are hdip level 8 diploma, it's not possible to covert to a lower or equal level in any field of study.

There are however Add on degrees!

I've worked in social care setting most of my career, op put your cv in for positions, you'd be surprised how far your experience will go. In the past I have hired someone in your position, their degree was in a totally different field!!

There is an online post grad dip in social studies that may interest you, I wouldn't do back and do a BA in your position, see if you can do a masters of you are going back to study