Volunteering - The Younger Generation
13 October 2003 at 1:10 pm
Young people aged 16 to 24 years old are a growing volunteer base and according to the ABS statistics (2000) the biggest growth area in volunteering was youth.
There was an increase in participating 18-24 year olds from 16.6% to 26.8% between 1995 and 2000.
Volunteering Australia says there is a misconception in volunteering circles that young people are not interested or involved in volunteering.
Govolunteer.com.au, Australia’s first national Not for Profit volunteer-matching website, attracts approximately 14,000 young people (under the
age of 24) every month.
Here are a few hints for organisations looking to attract young volunteers to help their organisation:
What Young People Can Offer:
• Energy
• Enthusiasm
• A fresh perspective and new ideas on how your organisation can do things
• Skills and abilities in particular ‘new’ skills – especially in IT
• A ‘young person’s’ point of view
• A way of ensuring the future of volunteering within your organisation by bringing a younger generation of volunteers in to help and thus a way to help sustain your organisation into the future.
• The opportunity to involve your existing staff/volunteers in training and mentoring new volunteers.
Why Young People Get Involved:
• Skill acquisition – job skills, communication skills, personal and professional development
• To gain experience – especially to be able to add to their CV or to gain a written/verbal reference
• To have fun
• To meet new people
• To experience new challenges
• To gain satisfaction from doing something to make a difference to the world we live in.
If you would like an Information Sheet on Involving Young People in Volunteering just send us an e-mail to probono@probonoaustralia.com.au.
Pro Bono Australia’s Volunteer Match at www. volunteermatch.com.au matches skilled professionals, many of them under 35, with Not for Profits requiring assistance in a range of areas.
Volunteering Australia has also announced its 10th National Conference will be held from 2-4 June 2004 at the Hilton on the Park in Melbourne with the theme “Volunteering- evolution, devolution or revolution?”
Proposals for papers, workshops and poster from all interested parties are now being invited. The deadline for abstracts in 28 November 2003.
To find out how to submit an abstract just send us an email for a copy of Call for Abstracts” to probono@probonoaustralia.com.au.
