Enriching Lives:the story of Warwick Volunteers

Enriching Lives:the story of Warwick Volunteers

Community Volunteering as Work Experience

Martin Christ & Peter Rose

Offers students the opportunity to develop a complex range of skills, along with a more holistic experience during their time at University

Ensures a distinctive educational experience for our students

Ensures that the University has a positive impact on our local community

2,300 members, 10% of student body

The volunteer perspective

Aaron Middleton

“Being a technology volunteer demonstrates commitment and enthusiasm in science and technology in addition to the interpersonal skills I have developed. As a result, I have used my experiences as a technology volunteer extensively in job interviews and applications…….

Being a technology volunteer has also given me theopportunity to influence young students to getinvolved in technology and initiate that curiosity,something that I wish I had done at an earlier age!!”

The volunteer perspective

Imogen Lockyear

“Volunteering has been a really valuable part of my university experience as it has not only been a lot of fun and allowed me to contribute to the community, but has also enabled me to fit a great deal of work experience around my studies.

As a direct result of my volunteering I have achieved a place on a primary PGCE course, since at my interview they were particularly impressed with the concept of the Fun with Numbers project, and talking about it was a great way to show my enthusiasm for teaching."!”

Our observations

‘Student-led’ ‘Community-led’---------------------

Our observations

‘Community-led’ activities:Do not always fit well with student availability

Do not always make best use of students’ talents , interests and abilities

Can leave some students feeling like ‘second-class’ volunteers

Do these things matter?

Our observations

‘Student-led’ activities:Can sometimes lead to ‘doing to’ rather than ‘working with’ the community

Do not always properly assess community needs as part of the development process

Can be difficult to sustain

Can risk favouring students’ experience over that of the community

Do these things matter?

Our observations

‘Student-led’

‘Community-led’

Our observations

‘Hybrid’ activities:Can be more robust, sustainable and balanced

Can enhance the student experience, for example with support and mentoring

Can enhance outcomes for the community

Do not represent a compromise?Offer something qualitatively superior?

Key Community Partners

Identified ‘key community partners’ as potential hubs of student volunteering

Community partners and volunteers worked together to identify activities

Matched volunteers’ skills and interests with community interests and needs

Focussed on the (long term) relationship rather than the (short term) activity

Key Community Partners

CollaborativeFlexible

EquitableEmpowering

CreativeSupportive

Sustainable

Pooled Resources

So what did we find?

Enabled lots of volunteering- some unusual

Very positive feedback from volunteers and partner organisations

Partner organisations keen to continue this way of working

Higher quality volunteering opportunities

Has increased the value organisations place on our volunteers, and encouraged creativity

Has enabled flexibility, responsiveness and efficiency

Music Matters

Employer views*

Employers wants students with ‘a good degree from a good university’

Who have participated fully in University life, and

Who have work experience, and

Who have reflected upon, and can articulate their achievements, ‘tell their story’ to demonstrate their uniqueness*Employer consultation, King’s/Warwick Project, 2009-10

Warwick Advantage Award

Supports reflection

Develops articulation

• The Warwick Advantage Gold Award not only gave me the skills and confidence to succeed during interviews, but my current employer cited it as the clinching factor in their final decision in offering me a job. Twelve months after their original job offer, I progressed to a managerial position with the world's leading sport for development charity." (Leo, 2009 History & Politics graduate)