Wage watchers: how much does a youth club worker earn?

Youth club worker Willem Vounckx, 27, from Aarschot talks about what he earns and how he spends it

What do you do for a living?

As a city employee I support young people in their running of the youth club. That means I help the volunteers in the overall running of the club, the admin side of things, accounting and organising all kinds of leisure activities. Belgium has more than 400 youth clubs, but only a quarter of them can actually call on the services of a collaborator working for the municipality. One of the advantages of appointing a youth club worker is that there is more continuity, because volunteers often only last one to two years.

Do you enjoy your work?

Oh absolutely! I have an exciting job with lots of variety. I also love working with young people and coaching them. Teaching them usually happens spontaneously: volunteers at youth clubs learn the ropes by doing all sorts of things such as budgeting, organising meetings and promotional campaigns, taking responsibility.

How many hours a week do you work?

I work 37.5 hours per week. In busier periods – September to November and February to May – I work extra hours, but I can take them in lieu at a later date. Exam periods and summer holidays are less busy.

What do you think of your salary?

I take home €1,345 every month (+ meal tickets and mobile phone). I have a decent wage with evening and weekend bonuses. It is also about the same as what I earned as a childcare worker.

Would you change jobs if the money was better?

No. I would only move on if I felt that there were no challenges left in the job I do. But for the time being all’s well.

Do you save?

Yes, I try to put a little bit aside every month.

What does the biggest chunk of your salary go towards?

My mortgage.

Are you more careful with your money because of the crisis?

Yes, because my wife and I want to build a house, so we take it a little easier.

What do you gladly pay for?

Surfing, surfing holidays, CDs, vinyl records and concerts.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I would use some of it to pay for our house, then go surf in South Africa and Australia. I would also set aside a part of the money for the children I have in the future.

(mr)