Passions, People and Appreciation: Making Volunteering Work for Young People 

• 1. Young people are community-minded
• 2. Some young people face barriers to volunteering
• 3. Young people value some types of community/volunteer activities above others
• 4. Young people benefit from volunteering, especially when the volunteering experience is a positive one
• 5. Young volunteers are valued by volunteer organisations
• 6. Some volunteer organisations are more attractive to young people than others
• 7. Action to encourage young people to participate in volunteering, and to increase the benefits they gain from it, would be particularly effective if it was concentrated on addressing the barriers to volunteering and ensuring that the participation is a positive experience
• Further research

The material gathered for this study provides some new insights into volunteering by young people in Australia.

These insights are important in themselves in that they add further detail to the picture of volunteering that previous studies have constructed. In particular, by adding the views of young people themselves they uncover a part of the picture that was previously obscured.

In addition these insights are significant because they provide indicators of where action to encourage participation in volunteering by young people and to improve the volunteering experience for young people would be effective.

These insights are the "key messages" of this report.

1. Young people are community-minded

As indicated by the participants in this study, the majority of young people see themselves as members of a broader community. They care about their communities and they have a positive view of organisations and activities that they believe will "make a difference" where problems and difficulties occur.

2. Some young people face barriers to volunteering

Although they may have a desire to contribute to their communities, some young people are unable to participate in community/volunteer activities because they face external and internal (personal) barriers.

External barriers

• Lack of information: they don't know about volunteering opportunities.
• Peer pressure: volunteering has an image as "uncool" among some young people.
• Restrictions on volunteers: some organisations reject volunteers below a certain age, or require a minimum or regular time commitment from their volunteers.

Internal (personal) barriers

• Lack of skills: some young people believe they do not have the skills necessary to be a volunteer.
• Lack of confidence: it can be intimidating for young people to approach volunteer organisations.
• Time constraints: study and work commitments leave young people with limited time for other activities.
• Disaffection with community/volunteer activities: caused by a poor previous experience or by inappropriate advertising.

Other than in time and energy, young people do not see costs as a barrier to participation in community/volunteer activities. Generally, where costs are highest, they are refunded by volunteer organisations. In other cases, any costs appeared to be balanced by rewards and benefits.

3. Young people value some types of community/volunteer activities above others

Young people are selective about the community/volunteer activities in which they participate. In particular they look for:

• activities that will engage their passions and interests and give them opportunities to put their values and convictions into action;
• activities that will involve other young people – either other young volunteers or young people who are the objects of the activity; and
• activities where they can see that their help is needed and their efforts have an impact.

Once these three basic requirements are met, their choice of activity will also reflect where the young people live, their gender, language and cultural background, religious affiliations, membership of clubs and associations, role models, previous experience and the time they have available.

4. Young people benefit from volunteering, especially when the volunteering experience is a positive one

Young people gain five main types of individual benefits from volunteering:

• satisfaction and affirmation: having fun, feeling needed and making a difference;
• social engagement: interaction with other people, particularly other young people;
• personal growth/development: growth in understanding of the world and themselves, more self-confidence;
• appreciation and formal recognition: from a "pat on the back" to more formal certificates and references; and
• skills, contacts and experience that will help them to secure paid work.

Some young people benefit from volunteering even when their experiences are negative ones. However, more importantly, young people seem to gain the most benefits when they enjoy volunteering. This is significant because it indicates that attempts to increase the benefits of volunteering for young people should concentrate on improving the experience.

5. Young volunteers are valued by volunteer organisations

Young people are sought after by volunteer organisations because:

• they provide energy and enthusiasm;
• they have useful skills and ideas;
• they help to build relationships with the community, particularly with young people;
• they help to renew and re-invigorate the organisation; and
• they are future community leaders.

These benefits outweigh the costs of having young volunteers, which are little different from the costs of having volunteers in general.

6. Some volunteer organisations are more attractive to young people than others

While some communities and organisations are very successful in attracting young people to participate in their activities, there are others that experience almost the direct opposite.

Organisations that are the most successful in attracting and retaining young people are those that:

• recognise the lifestyle issues that young people face, particularly the demands on their time;
• keep training short and provide opportunities for young people to move quickly from training to active involvement;
• offer young people opportunities to participate in activities that suit their skills and enthusiasm;
• talk to young people in language that is familiar to them and that they can understand; and
• have charismatic leaders with a high media profile or offer opportunities for young people to meet and work with high profile groups or individuals.

7. Action to encourage young people to participate in volunteering, and to increase the benefits they gain from it, would be particularly effective if it was concentrated on addressing the barriers to volunteering and ensuring that the participation is a positive experience

Young people gain some substantial benefits from community/volunteer activities. Community and volunteer organisations also benefit considerably from the participation of young people. There is thus a sound foundation and rationale for action to be taken to encourage more young people to participate in these types of activities – and further participation by those already involved.

The young people participating in this project made a number of specific suggestions:

• they suggested that participation in community/volunteer activity be made compulsory during school education to give young people the opportunity "get over the uncoolness" of it. They also indicated that it was vital that compulsory activity is enjoyable and meaningful or it would discourage rather than encourage;
• they asked for more information about volunteer opportunities. They suggested that information should be available through career teachers in schools and that all material should use simple language familiar to, and easily understood by, young people. The types of tasks and their purposes should be clearly explained. Examples of "real people" already participating should be used and should emphasise what they are doing and how they are benefiting;
• they asked for a greater variety of volunteer opportunities, especially for young people who are currently below the minimum age for some activities;
• they asked for easier access to volunteer organisations, because approaching organisations can be stressful; and
• they asked for a "charter of rights" for volunteers to prevent exploitation and a process for resolving disputes between volunteers and paid staff or volunteers and organisations.

The findings of this project also suggest some actions that could be taken by volunteer organisations to improve their recruitment and retention of young volunteers:

• young people could be given a greater input into defining goals and objectives;
• activities could be altered to include a greater emphasis on teamwork, to enable young people to have greater control over how they are done and more responsibility for meeting objectives;
• information about volunteering opportunities could be disseminated more widely and in a greater variety of forms. Organisations could go out and talk to young people more. Advertising material could be re-framed in more appropriate language for young people and include more examples of real volunteers;
• young people could be asked what they are looking for in volunteering and activities could be better matched to their interests and needs;
• programs for young people under the age of 18 could be established where they do not already exist;
• formal recognition, such as certificates, awards and references could be given to all young people; and
• milestones and small victories could be celebrated.

Further research

While this research has helped to answer some questions it has also raised others. Thus it points to a few areas where further research might be useful in providing a more comprehensive picture of young people and volunteering in Australia.

Firstly, discussion group participants suggest that attitudes to volunteering form during late primary schooling and early years of high school – that is while young people are below 16 years of age – the cut-off point for this study. Is this true? If so, what factors influence attitudes and what steps could be taken to ensure more positive attitudes? To what extent do the views of young people aged 18+ reflect these early attitudes? What factors change views? What factors confirm views?

Secondly, throughout the project the responses of young people seemed to show some differences according to social and cultural background. The LSAY data also highlighted some variations. However, there was insufficient time to pursue the extent and nature of these differences in detail. What are they? Why do they occur? What can be learned from them? Further research could examine volunteering and young people within particular social groups, such as young Indigenous people, or young people born overseas.

Thirdly, the research did not consider whether and how volunteering by young people differs in Australia from overseas and whether Australia might learn from overseas experience. Some of the literature pointed to extensive compulsory programs overseas and also to some different forms of volunteer programs involving young people. Some comparative work could explore the nature of effective programs and whether aspects of them could be transplanted to the Australian context.

Fourthly, the research identified some volunteer organisations that have been highly successful in recruiting and retaining young people. Further case study work could be undertaken to provide further information about the reasons for this success.

Fifthly, further research could consider in more detail the gender aspects of volunteering by young people. How strong is the gender effect? How does it work? What factors strengthen it? Ameliorate it?