Subject Guide - Young People and Volunteering

Aimed primarily at managers of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations,  this guide contains online resources to help you involve young people in your volunteering program. All resources within the guide can be accessed free of charge.

While all sections of this guide will be valuable and are designed to meet readers' different needs, we recommend you don't miss Section 4, which can be downloaded as a PDF - Young People and Volunteering - Take a Closer Look (see contents item 4 below to download). The aim of this section is to build on the knowledge which already exists in the sector and provide practical advice, making connections across the collection of resources as a whole.

Help keep this guide current We know there are many other relevant resources available, so please let us know if you have any resources to recommend for inclusion in this guide. Email us your suggestions and please report any broken links.

Contents

1: Fast facts - Gain an understanding of the issues affecting young volunteers
2: Strategies for organisations - Succeed in involving young people in your organisation
3: Research findings, reports and journal articles - Extend your understanding of this subject
4: Young People and Volunteering - Take a Closer Look - Key issues managers of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations need to consider to successfully involve young people in their volunteer programs

Young People and Volunteering

More and more young people in Australia are becoming involved in volunteering.  Volunteering enables young people to gain new skills and knowledge and can be a great pathway to gaining paid employment.  It helps young people build their personal and professional development, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to build on skills or interests they may have acquired, by gaining practical experience in applying these in a workplace.

Volunteering is a fun way for young people to meet new people while supporting causes that they feel passionate about.

1: Fast facts
Resources that will help you to quickly gain an understanding of young people and give you a good starting point for building your knowledge.

Social Participation of Young People
A snapshot of volunteer participation by 18- to 24-year-olds, including the most common types of volunteer work undertaken, reasons for becoming involved and recruitment methods.
Copyright owner/publisher: Australian Bureau of Statistics 

2: Strategies for organisations
The resources listed in this section are aimed at providing more in-depth information on young people.  The resources will help managers of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations work out some key strategies for successfully involving young people in their volunteering programs.

Taking Young People Seriously: Consulting Young People about their Ideas and Opinions: A Handbook for Organisations Working with Young People
This handbook provides a guide for organisations on how to effectively consult with young people.  There is an emphasis on the importance of organisations understanding the perspectives of young people, so as to ensure that services and events are relevant and appropriate.
Copyright owner/publisher: Youth Affairs Council of Victoria

Volunteering and Youth Development: Making a Positive Difference
This is a good practice guide for not-for-profit organisations, providing information on how to apply good practice in volunteering to a youth development environment.
Copyright owner/publisher: AusYouth

Engaging Generation Y - Training Module
This site offers a suite of materials for running a workshop to engage young people as volunteers.  The materials include trainer notes, a slide show, and workbook for participants and is aligned with nationally recognised units of competency. 
Copyright owner/publisher: Government of South Australia, Office for Volunteers

3: Research findings, reports and articles
Research into young people and volunteering is a growing area.  As new research resources are identified they will be added to this section.

Passions, People and Appreciation: Making Volunteering Work for Young People
Report findings based on a project that explored volunteering by young people aged 16 to 24 years, including findings on the kinds of volunteering in which young people participate, the reasons for involvement, and the benefits gained by young people and organisations.
Copyright owner/publisher: National Youth Affairs Research Scheme

The Faces of Volunteering: a special report by Wesley Mission Sydney - Youth the Future Volunteers
This online report focuses on the findings of a study of young volunteers undertaken by the Wesley Mission, Sydney.  It looks at the motivations of young volunteers and the challenges and issues that organisations need to be aware of.
Copyright owner/publisher: Wesley Mission, Sydney 

Fearless and Flexible - Views of Gen Y: a qualitative study of people aged 16 to 24 in Australia
These findings are based on eight focus groups conducted in 2006 to investigate the attitudes and experiences in learning and work of young Australians.  While not specific to the volunteer sector, the study provides a good framework for organisations who want to further their knowledge on the issues faced by young people today.
Copyright owner/publisher: Dusseldorp Skills Forum

4: Young People and Volunteering - Take a Closer Look

Download the pdf.