If you’re interested in educating members of your community about specific topics or issues and you have strong communication abilities, you may be suited for a career as a community education officer.
Below we've outlined how to get started in this profession. We've also included helpful supplementary information, such as a job description, an overview of the job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Community Education Officer
The educational requirements will vary from employer to employer. However, having a university degree in certain areas can prepare you for this career by providing you with important skills and competencies.
Coursework in social policy, communications, community development, education, social work, sociology and similar areas can be of great benefit to you for this profession.
Community Education Officer Job Description
Community education officers aim to encourage learning at all levels and for all ages in order to build better citizens and communities. Their goals are accomplished by engaging with local groups and individuals, and identifying community interests, needs and issues. Once these interest, needs and issues have been identified, community education officers facilitate access to different available projects, resources and programs.
Typical Duties of the Job
• Engage with individuals and community groups such as residents’ associations, parents’ groups and youth groups
• Identify local interests and needs
• Help people who are interested in learning overcome barriers
• Work with individuals and groups to create learning plans
• In cooperation with service and program providers, formulate service plans and priorities
• Encourage and influence the development of new learning opportunities through formal and informal classes as well as individual tutoring and mentoring
• Prepare budget and monitor expenditures
• Source grants and prepare applications
• Recruit, train, supervise and support volunteers
Training Needed to This Career
Training that takes place aside from formal education for this career usually takes place in the form of short courses on specific issues, communication techniques, management techniques and other similar topics.
These training courses are typically provided in-house, or may be provided by an outside organization, such as an organization in the field of community development.
Who Employs Them?
There are many different types of organizations and groups that employ community education officers, including:
• Federal, provincial/state and municipal government
• Universities and colleges
• Youth groups
• Community organizations
• Arts organizations
• Non-profit groups, including those that work with groups such as the homeless, individuals with mental health difficulties and special interest groups
Gaining Relevant Career Experience as a Student
Gaining relevant experience while you’re a student is a great idea, as it can not only introduce you to what your future career may be like, it will also give you an edge over your competition when it comes time to hand out your resume.
Working or volunteering with community organizations, sports organizations, organizations representing individuals with special needs and other such organizations will serve as excellent experience in community education.
Working Conditions Typical to This Profession
The work schedule of community education officers may differ from employer to employer, or from project to project, however they typically work normal weekday working hours, and overnight travel is considered rare in this career. Some projects may require community education officers to work evenings and weekends.
Although this is typically a full-time profession, there are opportunities for part-time work in this field. It’s also important to be aware that jobs in this field may also be short term and contract based.
Community education officers typically split their time between an office setting and various locations in the community. Their offices may be located in a school, a community centre, the office of an organization such as a non-profit, or in a government office.
They might spend a considerable amount of time travelling around the community in order to attend meetings with training providers, clients, or to attend classes.
Job Postings - Open Opportunities
Our job board below has "community education officer" postings in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Similar Career Guides in Our Database
Listed below are occupational guides in our database for careers that are similar in nature to this one, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
• First Nations Education Coordinator
• Literacy Program Coordinator
References
Please consult the references below to find more information on the various aspects of this career:
Job Descriptions: “Community Education Officer.” (n.d.). Grad Ireland website. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
Job Profile: “Community Education Officer.” AGCAS editors (May, 2018). Prospects website. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
Scholarships for Becoming a Community Education Officer
The 'Relevant Fields of Study' section below shows fields of study that help set a good founation for a career as a community education officer. You can search for scholarships matched to those fields of study on our All Scholarships by Major page.
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Relevant Fields of Study
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point for getting into this profession. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
