I first met Manny Ogunniyi at the Sussex Skills Festival, a vocational careers event for schools organised by the Learning and Skills Council. Manny was surrounded by a group of school students, who listened intently as he enthused about the different career possibilities open to them. A few months later, I asked him to chair a student session at a conference recently, about networking. He arrived with a clutch of handouts, full of plans to get the delegates interested and involved.

As it turned out, they didn’t need much prompting. With Catherine Roberts (BA Theatre and Performance, Northbrook College Sussex) and Mike Kelly (MA Event Management, University of Brighton), we discussed the pros of cons of electronic and face to face networking. Then Manny talked about how he was influenced, whilst growing up in Nigeria, by a strong emphasis on mutual respect and social responsibility. These values also played a part in Manny finding his way to the Foundation Degree in Youth Work at the University of Brighton. “The youth is for today and tomorrow, and it matters a great deal to every home and society. I want to be part of it. I want to learn a lot from them, and to help them learn from us as a community waiting to listen to them.”

The course is a progression route for those already possessing a solid grounding in the youth work profession. Manny holds a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in youth work, so he must be pretty determined about it. “I attended an NVQ course then progressed to finding out in advance through Universities and local libraries about possible options and ideas. I attended a short seminar open evening at Brighton University, got back home and knew the course would be right for me.” The course involves a mandatory work placement, and he attends youth work courses and social activities such as salsa dancing, football tournaments, music and debates.

It’s hard to believe, but as well as all of this, Manny works in a full-time job. He has no illusions about what he has taken on. “The course is demanding, extensive in research and time consuming. It’s hard work, tiring, and I sometimes feel torn apart! It’s a huge sacrifice in terms of friends and family, but rewarding when the marks are good.” What he values most about the course is the opportunity to meet each week with other students and workers, to share experiences and learn from each other. When he finishes the course, he plans to keep working with young people. “I want to keep giving back to them - where ever I am needed or called to.”

Clearly Manny gets an immense amount of satisfaction from youth work, and his personal qualities must surely add to his prospects. He claims he bought a sense of humour on ebay, but accepts that he’s “a good communicator, I love to participate at any planned or unplanned activities.” As if to prove a point, he pulled one our cotton conference bags over his head like an apron, generously offering us free advertising on his way back to work.

More information about the Foundation Degree in Youth Work at University of Brighton.

For information about progressing to or from the Foundation Degree in Youth Work visit Sussex Routes.