The Role of a Community Development Worker

The role of the community development worker is one that is woven entirely into the environment that they care about - driven by a passion for their communities, they are the support workers that many underrepresented minority groups are in dire need of.

If ever you’ve noticed a specific issue surrounding a particular group, like issues with families going without food, for example, and wanted to raise awareness about it and do something positive to benefit the situation - then the role of a community development worker could be a career path to consider.

It is the job of the community development worker to always be looking at their local community and doing everything they can to improve the lives of the people living there. Sometimes this means working with the local government to source aid for projects that will help the local community with specific issues - other times community development workers must go to community groups and local businesses which are willing to invest in their cause, explaining their intentions and project plans to help secure funding.

As well as starting projects and initiatives, the community development worker will be looking at current projects and discussing and evaluating their successes and identifying areas that could be improved to benefit as many people as possible. It is important for the projects that are started to consistently continue to benefit the local community, rather than be presented with initiative after initiative.

There are many routes of entry into a career as a community development worker - graduates from any academic background can enter this profession, however, a degree in a related subject like social science, social work or sociology may greatly increase your chances of securing a role. As well as a related degree, a passion for change and activism is a must for aspiring Community Development Workers, so look at local volunteering schemes and community programmes which will help give you experience which will be very attractive to employers.

If you are passionate about addressing issues in your community, whether that be issues with drug abuse, unemployment or homelessness, for example, you may be able to put that passion to use and help people to improve their lives. Visit the University of Bolton’s page for Health and Social Care courses to find out more about the highest rated university for student satisfaction in the North West*, based in Greater Manchester.

*The Complete University Guide, North West Region 2021, 2020, 2019