V: Value volunteering to untap hidden talents of nation's youth, says report

Wednesday, 10 September 2008 12:00 AM

Employers and educational institutions are being urged to promote volunteering as a way for young people develop skills in a report published today (September 10) by v the youth volunteering organisation.

The report, Discovering talent - Developing skills: the contribution of volunteering draws on evidence to show how volunteering in community projects can help young people develop self-confidence, communication and team work skills, which employers say they need.

The report also shows how volunteering can help engage young people who are not in education, employment or training and provide a route back into formal learning or employment.

However, it points to a v survey that shows while 87% of employers agree volunteering is 'a valuable activity that could have a positive effect on career progression', this is not bourne out in HR recruitment practices. 43% of human resources departments say it is irrelevant whether a candidate has volunteered.

Terry Ryall, v's Chief Executive, says: "Volunteering can tap into young people's hidden talents and give them the skills that they need to progress into further education, training or employment.

"At a time when employers say staff lack soft skills, they should look to volunteering as a means of preparing new recruits for the workplace. Schools, colleges and universities can also help by fostering a culture of voluntary action within the institution."

Business student Sarah, who volunteers at Voltage, a v funded project based at Lancaster University that gets local sixth form and college students to devise social enterprise activities, says: " You see the students improving their creative, organisation and public speaking skills- and I've gained invaluable skills too that I hope to use in my future career."

The report is backed by Chris Humphries, CEO UK Commission on Employment and Skills, who
says: "Volunteering is a great way to help young people understand what work is really about.
That doesn't happen in the regular classroom environment but outside it."

v is also urging JobCentre Plus staff to take a more positive view of volunteering. In some instances, full-time volunteers continue to experience difficulties with their benefits and this can result in a young person giving up altogether rather than moving forwards into work.

The report outlines the next steps that v believes need to be taken including:

• Employers to value volunteering in their recruitment practices and promote volunteering as an effective tool for staff development
  
• Providers of Information, Advice and Guidance to promote volunteering actively as a way of developing skills and broadening horizons
  
• Schools, colleges and universities to take proactive steps to embed a culture of voluntary action and provide practical opportunities during term-time for students to volunteer
  
• JobCentre Plus - to support full-time volunteering programmes and signpost young adults to volunteering as a stepping stone into employment
  
• Government to champion volunteering and continue to address policy and bureaucracy that can prevent young people from participating.

In 2009, v will be launching the v Awards - a national scheme that will create a gold standard that recognises and celebrates the volunteering achievements of 16-25s and their positive impact in the community.

[Ends]

Media inquiries: Petra Coveney, v PR manager, tel: 020 7960 7016 email petra.coveney@wearev.com

Notes to Editor

Discovering Talent - Developing Skills: the contribution of volunteering (September 2008) is available to download from v's corporate website www.wearev.com. It includes case studies from young volunteers and projects as well as v's previous research Youth Volunteering: Attitudes and Perceptions which questioned a sample group of 1,582 young volunteers, employers, Higher and Further Education colleges and voluntary sector organisations to explore the impact of volunteering and skills development on career progression.

• v is the youth volunteering charity launched in May 2006 whose mission is to inspire a new generation of young volunteers in England aged 16-25. v is supported by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office.The charity was set up to implement the recommendations of the Russell Commission outlining a new national framework for youth action and engagement, following a nationwide consultation which included 6000 young people.
  
• v is led by the cares, interests, passions and beliefs of young people. A Youth Advisory Board made up of twenty young people called v20 is involved in all aspects of the charity's work. Four members of v20 sit on v's Board of Trustees.
  
• v works with and builds upon the current voluntary sector infrastructure, funds the creation of volunteering opportunities through grants rounds and implements programmes to create awareness and positive understanding of volunteering for young people. For more information on v, visit www.wearev.com

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