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Introducing Study Melbourne Live Volunteers
A new initiative from Study Melbourne under the
LIVE initiative.
Connecting international students with opportunities
to volunteer in the community.
Introducing Volunteering Victoria
We support volunteering in Victoria.
Our vision is resilient communities and empowered
and active citizens through volunteering.
Purpose of this session
This session will help you to find a volunteer role that is
right for you.
We want you to have a positive volunteering experience.
You are welcome to ask questions throughout the session
or you can wait until to the end to speak with me privately.
What we will cover today
• Volunteering – what it is, and how it differs from other
types of unpaid activity
• Volunteering in Australia
• How to find volunteer roles
• Creating your own volunteer role
• Ready to volunteer?
• Next steps
Defining volunteering in Australia
‘Volunteering is time willingly given
for the common good
and without financial gain.’
Volunteering Australia, 2015
Defining volunteering in Australia
• An inclusive definition – many types of volunteering
• Volunteer reimbursements
• Student placements and internships – similar, but not
the same as volunteering
• Volunteering and your visa
Why do people volunteer?
In Australia, people volunteer for many reasons, including:
• Personal values and beliefs
• To make friends and social connections
• To develop a professional network
• Learn or develop skills for the workplace
• Fun!
• Most commonly – mix of motivations
Where and how could you volunteer?
• Many organisations rely on volunteers, such as:
– Hospitals, libraries and schools
– Community support services
– Environment and conversation groups
– Arts and cultural groups
– Community festivals and events
• Only organisations which do not trade for a profit are
allowed to engage volunteers.
• Roles: individual or group-based, ongoing or project-
based, in person or virtual – and some may require skills
How to find volunteer roles
• Friends and other students
• University contacts, including careers services, lecturers
and teachers, on-campus groups and associations
• Volunteer support services in your local area
• Online recruitment websites
• Direct to organisations which engage volunteers
• Approach an organisations directly
• Create your own volunteering opportunity
Finding a role online
Some organisations use websites to recruit volunteers:
• All types of opportunities on www.seekvolunteer.com.au
and www.govolunteer.org.au
• Goodcompany, Communiteer and Vollie have a mix of
skilled ongoing roles and projects
There are lots of other websites – if you find one you really
like, let us know so we can share with other students
Find a role through an organisation
Some organisations publish information about volunteer opportunities on their own websites:
• Conversation Volunteers Australia – on the front page
• North Melbourne Language and Learning – under ‘Get Involved’
• Next Wave Festival – under ‘Latest News’
Or, you could approach the organisation to express interest in volunteering – you don’t need to wait for roles to be advertised.
Applying for a volunteer role
• Common elements, including written applications and
interviews
• Workplace checks:
– Working with Children Check – free, easy to apply
– National Police Check – more complicated
• Find out as much as you can – and ask questions
• Securing a volunteer role may take longer than you
expect – and be more complicated, too
Create your own volunteer opportunity
• Lots of volunteering takes place outside organisations.
• Think about an issue that interests you – such as helping
other international students get to know Melbourne
• You could seek support from your educational institution
– or a grant program like the International Student
Welfare Program, which will be open later in the year.
• Use social media to spread your message – and attract
people to help you.
Selecting a role to suit you
• What are your interests?
• What are your motivations?
• How much time do you have?
• Are there times of the year when you may not be available?
• Do you want an ongoing commitment – or would a short-term project be more suitable for you?
• What location would suit you?
Next steps
• Use the Volunteering Action Plan:
– Consider how volunteering could help you – e.g. to make friends
or to achieve your career goals, or both
– Think about what type of volunteering you would
like to do
• Explore some websites where volunteer roles are
advertised.
• Apply for one or more volunteer roles that interest you –
or create your own!
Volunteer opportunities available today
• Some options to start with:
– Current opportunities to volunteer through Study Melbourne Live
Volunteer are listed here:
http://volunteeringvictoria.org.au/opportunities-international-
students
• Look in your email for links to each opportunity
• Make sure you mention Melbourne Study Live Volunteers
in your application
Any questions?
All questions are good questions
– feel free to ask me anything
about volunteering.
If you’d prefer to ask a
question privately, you
can ask me after the
session has concluded.
Evaluation
Thank you for coming to this workshop session.
It is a new session, designed for international students.
Your feedback will assist us to improve the session for
other students.
Your responses are completely confidential.