Volunteering Youth: routes and tools for Competence’s Emersion
| Project Code | 2016-2-IT03-KA205-008782 |
| Type of Action | Strategic Partnership |
| Countries Involved | IT,PL,FR,ES,SI,PT |
| Duration | 24 months |
| Budget | 209,092 EUR |
| Objectives | -create practical and innovative tools to be used to validate the competencies of young volunteers; -promote the use of such tools among the organisations that deal with young volunteers and among public institutions; -connect young volunteers who have acquired new competences and companies interested in hiring them. |
| Target Group | – European youths who volunteer and are interested in having their competencies validated; a particular attention will be paid to disadvantaged youths and even more to asylum seekers, refugees, immigrants; – organizations hosting volunteers volunteers, that will have a key role in the assessment and validation of their competencies – public institution in charge for planning and implementing educational policies; |
| Summary of the Project |
| The VOYCE project focused on validating competencies gained by young volunteers and promoting the link between volunteering and the labour market. In the EU, over 20% of young people volunteer regularly, gaining valuable skills that can enhance their professional prospects. However, organizations hosting volunteers often lack awareness and resources to properly validate these competencies. The available tools are inadequate, especially for the volunteer sector, which requires specialized tools to validate volunteers learnings during the volunteering process to boost their employability. VOYCE aimed to boost young people’s employability by leveraging skills acquired through volunteering, with special attention to refugees, migrants, and disadvantaged youth. The project was a collaboration among nine organizations from five EU countries (Italy, France, Spain, Poland, and Portugal). The project achieved four main outcomes:Identification of best practices for validating competencies in volunteering through research.Development of innovative, user-friendly tools to connect volunteer-acquired skills with the labour market.Training of youth workers on using tools Promotion and dissemination of the project’s findings among stakeholders, including young people, volunteer organizations, and employers.Key activities included:Creation of five intellectual outputs: research on innovative practices, a manual for competency validation, a web platform for online validation, a guide for mentors, and a training module on enhancing employability through volunteer experiences.Two training courses for youth workers on validating volunteer-acquired competencies and enhancing them for job searches.Organization of five multiplier events in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Poland to disseminate results.The project methodology emphasized active participation, integrating self-evaluation by volunteers with organizational assessments, and combining analytical and expressive tools like digital storytelling. Impacts included increased awareness among volunteer organizations about the importance of validating learning, improved employability for young volunteers, higher youth participation in volunteering, and greater public awareness and debate on the issue. |
| Results of the Project |
| The project has developed 5 separate outputs and reached over 4.000 young people through its course. The project results are :1)Research on Validation of Volunteers’ Competences 2)Manual for the Validation of Volunteers’ Competences 3)Platform for the validation of volunteers’ competences 4)Guide for Mentors of pathways of emergence learning 5)Competences in Action – Training Module for Tutors to prepare the end of the volunteers’ experience The results can be accessed from here : http://www.voyceproject.eu in English, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, French. |
| Significance of the Project |
| The project has been recognized as a best practice for its innovative approach in linking volunteering with the enhancement of young people’s employability. Volunteering is often undervalued as a pathway to professional careers because many companies fail to recognize the skills and competencies gained through such experiences. This project tackles this challenge head-on by focusing on the development of youth workers’ abilities and providing them with the necessary tools to create the linkage between volunteering and labour market. The project helps to bridge the gap between volunteering and professional life, ensuring that the contributions of young volunteers are recognized and valued in the labor market. This approach not only enhances the employability of young people but also encourages greater participation in volunteer activities, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for personal and professional growth. |
