A PIONEERING course offered at the University of Chester's Padgate campus is set to combat the shortage of Muslim youth workers in the UK.

British-born Muslims represent 54 per cent of the total Muslim population of almost two million in the country, and a quarter are under the age of 25.

The Muslim youth work degree is the first course of its kind in the country and has received a positive response from Muslims both nationally and internationally.

Sadek Hamid, a lecturer with a professional background in Muslim youth work, helped develop the two-year foundation degree course.

He said: "Our non-Muslim youth working colleagues don't always know how to work with the young Muslim population.

"Part of the rationale behind this degree is that young people in Muslim communities face a number of socio-economic disadvantages - our course enables students to undertand how that has taken place and the best way to work in the community to help address this.

"Graduates can go back into their communities and find out whether it is about education and achievement, or if it is about other issues such as self-esteem or family problems, and by using the skills of youth work in the Muslim community, come to grips with these things."

Open to students of any faith, the degree looks at contemporary issues relating to the theology of Islam, issues affecting young people and the practices of Muslims internationally and nationally.

Dr Mohammed Seddon, lecturer in Muslim studies, said: "We also look at practical applications in Islam such as how ecologically friendly the Muslim world is and we relate that to what young Muslim people can do to develop ecological programmes.

"We hope that students coming on the course will go on to take professional jobs in their community in the youth work field and act as positive role models for communities that are in some cases very underdeveloped, socially excluded and economically deprived.

"The course is open to anyone wanting to build on their youth work skills and our students will be able to work with any young people, not just Muslims."

For further information call 01244 512471.