Encourage youth to volunteer

National Volunteer Week is April 21-27, which offers the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau an opportunity to celebrate volunteerism with our community through a series of articles.
Again we find ourselves thinking about youth volunteering and how important this activity is to youth for a number of reasons.
The two most obvious which come to mind are preparing young people for their future in work and life skills, and also hopefully encouraging them to enter civic service which enriches our community.
Youth today face unprecedented pressures as they prepare for the future. Entry into the labour market has become very challenging. Jobs are far less secure and many occupations demand a higher level of skills.
More jobs require employees who can communicate effectively, work well in a team environment, make sound decisions, solve problems, and demonstrate creativity.
Volunteer work can fill the vacuum of experience for young people and help bridge the gap between formal education and paid work. Hands-on experience as a volunteer can lead to new perspectives and insights that are unlikely to come from textbooks and lectures.
Volunteer experience also can give youth an edge when it comes to winning a scholarship or getting into a post-secondary program.
Youth are a largely untapped volunteer resource. When respected for their abilities, and given proper support and training, there is virtually no limit to what youth are able to accomplish!
Recent Statistics Canada 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating reveals that:
•there are 6.5 million volunteers in Canada;
•29 percent of all volunteers are between the ages of 15 and 24;
•youth volunteers contribute an average of 130 hours a year;
•78 percent of youth volunteers believe volunteering is a way to improve job prospects;
•24 percent of youth volunteers believe volunteering helped them get a job;
•18 percent of youth volunteers participated because of a school, employer, or government requirement;
•the key causes that Canadian youth volunteers support are education and research, social services, arts, culture, and recreation (including sports); and
•Canadian youth volunteers are involved in organizing and supervising events (53 percent); canvassing, campaigning, and fundraising (39 percent); teaching or coaching (34 percent); providing care, support, or counselling (29 percent); and serving as unpaid members of boards or committees (26 percent).
The benefits to organizations that make the investment of time for youth are well worth while.
When young people channel their talents into helping others and solving community problems, they build personal commitment to their community.
Through volunteering, they also gain a deeper understanding of their own stake in the broader community.
Encouraging youth to volunteer helps build the habits and attitudes of good citizens—and our future generation of volunteers!