Youth Volunteering James King Policy Analyst Rochelle Connell Graduate Policy Analyst

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Youth VolunteeringJames King Policy
AnalystRochelle Connell Graduate Policy Analyst

• Presentation to Involve 08

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What is volunteering?

• Typically, Western cultures define volunteering
  by the following three criteria
• it is not undertaken for financial gain
• it brings benefits to a third party
• it is undertaken of ones own free will

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Why is it important?

• Community development and cohesion. High levels
  of volunteering can translate to high levels of
  social capital
• volunteering is reciprocal volunteers get back
  as much as they put in to the experience
• research shows volunteers are healthier, less
  likely to be delinquent, perform better in school
  and have a stronger sense of civic identity
• volunteering can be a catalyst for re-engagement
  into education, encourage formal education or
  training and it can increase self confidence,
  self esteem and self worth

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What is happening in New Zealand?

• Nielsen Media Research Panorama Survey
• Using an Index Methodology (base population
  10)
• Females 10-19 are 32 percent less likely to
  volunteer
• Males 10-19 are 59 percent less likely to
  volunteer
• Maori and Pacific Island youth make a greater
  contribution than other ethnicities in
  non-traditional forms of volunteering

The proportion of 15-24 year olds and those aged
25 participating in voluntary activity 1996-2006
Source New Zealand Census of populations and
dwellings 1996, 2001, 2006
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Issues and barriers

• Data sources available provide an incomplete, at
  times contradicting picture
• survey design Census - is this the right place
  to ask?
• changes in youth culture are rapid, and voluntary
  organisations are finding it hard to keep up

• consumerism is now a dominant narrative in the
  lives of many young people - need new ways to
  engage them in volunteering
• young people do not always know how to access
  volunteering opportunities
• financial restrictions and time constraints

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What youth need from the volunteering experience

• Time bound tasks where youth can see tangible
  results
• friends or social experiences
• fun, enjoyment
• simple youth relevant tasks that create easy
  win/win situations
• positive experiences - particularly the first
  time they volunteer

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Where to from here
The Ministry of Youth Development and the Office
for the Community and Voluntary Sector are
producing a discussion document for sector
consultation by October 2008.
Some suggestions for enhancing youth volunteering
from the discussion document include

• Assisting the sector to attract youth
• producing a social marketing campaign with
  relevant agencies
• suggesting a rewards based scheme
• embedding volunteering in the school curriculum
• encouraging all employers to provide an annual
  volunteer day for their staff e.g ANZ

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www.ocvs.govt.nz