Getting young people involved
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Many people want to involve young volunteers in their organisation but aren't sure how. Young people might want to volunteer to gain experience or maybe an organisation wants to support young people and at the same time grow their business through volunteer power.
It might seem daunting to involve young volunteers in your organisation but there are some practical ways to make this easier. This video highlights some common concerns and questions people have when they are considering taking on young volunteers.
First of all, it is important to understand why young people want to volunteer.
The video has been produced by SYN media, a youth-run media organisation that provides broadcast and training opportunities for young Australians.
Read a transcript of this video
Watch this video in an accessible YouTube player
Transcript
SYN (syn.org.au) - SYN is a youth-run media organisation that provides broadcast and training opportunities for young Australians.
Narrator: Many people want to involve young volunteers in their organisation but aren't sure how. Young people might want to volunteer to gain experience or maybe an organisation wants to support young people and at the same time grow their business through volunteer power.
It might seem daunting to involve young volunteers in your organisation but there are some practical ways to make this easier. This video will highlight some common concerns and questions people have when they are considering taking on young volunteers. First it is important to understand why young people want to volunteer.
Mandi O'Brien (SYN volunteer): I just like being involved in organisations and just helping the youth of Melbourne because I am basically a youth and just getting my voice out there is the best thing.
Michael Sarlo (SYN volunteer): I have been hosting for about three years on air just as a standard host and that was really fun but then I wanted to kind of learn more about the behind the scenes work, about what is actually going on. How do you manage so many volunteers at the same time, especially on a genre night?
Jonathon Brown (Education and training manager): I really enjoyed the chance to take on a leadership role in an organisation that I think gives you the opportunity to frame things in your own way, to come up with your own ideas and really explore them, to really try new things and actually be a leader.
Narrator: Young people want to volunteer for lots of different reasons: to help their career, to make friends, to have their voice heard and to make a difference. Before you take on volunteers it is important to understand the risks. Volunteers are very different to paid employees, so what are the risks and how can you manage them?
Tahlia Azaria (SYN general manager): The biggest risk obviously is that the work might not get down. Ultimately it is being done by a volunteer and volunteers have other priorities. Especially young people; young people are really time poor usually they are juggling uni, and work and social lives, and family, and countless other things – that they have to do amongst their volunteer work.
So, putting a plan in place, timelining things, making sure the volunteer is very aware of their position and what they have to do. And, if that doesn't eventuate, talking to that volunteer and maybe scaling back their job. Job sharing with other volunteers – we have situations at SYN where we have radio shows that are just too large to be managed by one person. So, we have a co-executive producer structure which can work very well, and you know, in turn teaches those volunteers about team work and working with another person and they gain skills through that process that they might not otherwise gain.
Narrator: Once you identify the risks of having young volunteers in your organisation, it's time to find your volunteers something to do. How can you make sure that your volunteer will be a help and not a hindrance?
Joe Toohey (Express Media general manager): I don't think you should create a volunteer position every time you think there is a gap in your organisation. I think you need to make sure that the volunteer position is actually contributing something so making sure that there is a volunteer position or a title that actually is something your organisation needs and it is not just somebody, who maybe in the course of a month, you were a bit busy and thought, 'Wow, I really need a volunteer to come in this month to help me with this thing' and then after a month they've got nothing to help you with. So again, having some sort of really specific roles and some really well understood definitions of what you are going to be working on and what that volunteer is going to be working on I think is really important.
Narrator: To recap if you are thinking of getting young volunteers involved in your organisation here are some things to remember:
- Why do people want to volunteer for you?
- What are the risks?
- How can you integrate them into what your organisation is already doing?
Credits
Writer and Producer: Emma Sharp
Director: Steve Varley
Camera Operators: Brianna Piazza and Magda Makowski
Sound Operator: David Valkenet
Editor: Mike Young
Title Design: Caspian Pantea
Music: 'All Night Long' By the Frowning Clouds
Special thanks:
- Tahlia Azaria
- Joe Toohey
- Dan Pejic
- Ashleigh Briggs
- Michael Sarlo
- Mandi O'Brian
- Harley Hefford
- Jonathon Brown
- Vince Bufalino
- Patrick Bridges
- Mawrgan Shaw
- Clare Wynne
This video was made possible with the support of: The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria, The Victorian Volunteer Portal and the Victorian State Government.
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Posted by small sized cars - Monday, 28 November 2011 05:04