To think some career paths shouldn't be open to school leavers

[ChuffinAda]

Or 21 year old graduates.

I'm thinking careers such as the emergency services, social work, teaching etc where you need good people skills and life experience as well as qualifications

Aibu?

YABU. The skills needed for those jobs are interpersonal ones - it's about attitude and character traits as well as professional training. There will be brilliant 22 year old teachers / social workers alongside rubbish 40 year olds and vice versa.

Social workers used to have to have experience as well as the qualification, before getting a job as a social worker. I agree with this. It is a job that can not just be taught through a course.

Thanks Mrsjayy

Aren't all NQTs 21 year old grads?

No. I was a 40 year old NQT. There is no age requirement for teacher training.

I can also tell in hospitals the nurses who have no real understanding of how it feels to be seriously ill.

The only career path I can think of where the OP is absolutely true is psychotherapist. I struggle to imagine many people who would really, truly want a 21-year-old psychotherapist.

yabu enough said....

My grandfather in law managed to be a decorated war hero at the tender age of 21, I think teaching/ paramedic etc would all be possible!

Social work students go on placements every year of their degree so they are getting more and more experience and varied placements they are not just stuck in lectures.

I might've with you on social work, think you need to live a bit before doing such a difficult job. But the others no way! Teachers can be so enthusiastic when young. When my DC were in reception their teacher was young, she was lovely, so kind and professional with it.

Teachers can be young, no problem. If anyone thinks placements are enough for social workers to really understand the issues, that just shows how naive they really are

Is she starting in the new term Bruffin or has she started already

Tbf the sw students ive known have been in their late 20s 30s but they do work on their placements im really not naive

I began my teaching career aged 22, and now, at 39, am totally different to how I was then. I may be more experienced now, but back then I had no DH, no DC and stacks of time to devote to the job. I don't think I was better 17 years ago, but neither do I think I'm better now - just different.

The best teacher any of my kids have had so far was a teacher straight out of teacher training - it was her first job. The enthusiasm, compassion, love of teaching, love of learning she instilled into my eldest daughter is still there six years later.

By age 18 all ready had plenty of experience of family dysfunction, including having had a parent in prison and living with a heroin addict. Had I wanted to be a social worker my childhood provided far more valuable experience than my 20s and 30s.

To get on a social work degree at my local university you need to have least a year relevant experience voluntary or paid, life experience such as being in the care system would also be relevant. There are then placements throughout the course. It is a competitive degree to get on but I would think you could met these criteria in your early 20s or later in life.

My DP was once a 22 year old newly qualified social worker. 22 years on, she trains NQSW.

Placements throughout the degree course provide plenty of real world experience.

With social work some life experience is a good thing but some young people have been young carers or been in foster care themselves and other people late 20s have limited life experience. Some teenagers respond very well to young people a little older than themselves. It very much depends on individuals.
Placements help but I think Social Work training is inadequate overall.
No-one is going to be a qualified social worker before age 22 anyway.
When interviewing for social work courses they do look at voluntary experience as well as exam grades.
I was a social worker from age 23 until age 61. During that time a lot happened in my personal life. My strengths and weaknesses changed. I was not necessarily better at my job-just different.
Also the way people related to me changed and I found I was better working with different client groups at different ages because of this.(eg parents related to me better when I was older).

YABU . You get experience in the job. It is nothing to do with age, some 18 yr olds are very mature and they are never in their own- they have colleagues who are older. Everyone has different talents and skills to bring to a job.Sime of the best teachers, nurses etc are very young.

She has just done her AS levels Mrsjy. If the results in august are a disater she will start in september, but if she is on target the school will wait a year. She will apply for her uni course for 2017 and take a gap year and work at the school. The HT seems happy to wait.

larant I qualified aged 26, so fairly young. Avoiding judgements based on age, sex and religion etc is pretty damn important in social work. Perhaps you think you're too wise and experienced to remember this?!

The occupational therapy degree includes at least 1000 hours clinical placement.

Well I hope you never need to use the services of my DD1... who at only 23 has just qualified as a doctor... or DD2 who at 21 is just qualifying as a nurse!

Hmm life experience in their field? They grew up with a disabled sibling, spent all their summers working with a camp full of children with a wide range of disabilities and life limiting illness.. and they have trained solidly with 1000s of hours of clinical placements to allow them to qualify.

They also have enthusiasm and passion for their careers because they are not ground down by the system.. yet.

They are both mature sensible and committed ADULTS! As are the vast majority of their peers who have worked damn hard to qualify (and taken on masses amount of debt in the process)

Yes YABU!

Personally some of the best teacher I work with are the young ones, and I'd certainly like my rescuing fireman to be young and fit!

I don't think we should let young people have anything anymore.