Youth are active in everything from cleaning up the environment to helping young children learn to read... from advocating for support for street youth to visiting elderly people in nursing homes. Some work through youth groups, voluntary organizations or schools. Others get together on their own with friends and peers to lend a hand where they've seen a need. By getting involved in hands-on ways, these youth volunteers are helping to shape the world around them, rather than letting it shape them. What's more, the experience they're gaining will be a definite advantage in the future.

Volunteering goes under many different names: helping out, getting involved, being a good citizen, giving a service, tackling issues, having a voice, advocating for change, etc. You can also volunteer in a variety of ways: working for a formal organization, getting involved with a group that has formed spontaneously in response to a need, or helping out on your own as a good neighbour'.

What motivates young people in particular? Here are the findings of a recent survey done by the Youth Volunteer Corps of Canada:

1. I wanted to help others. (This was the favourite response by far.)
2. It sounded like fun.
3. I wanted to meet new people.
4. I had nothing else to do.
5. My parents encouraged me.
6. I wanted to learn job skills.
7. It looks good on a résumé.
8. My friends encouraged me.

Why should you volunteer? For any or all of the reasons mentioned above. Plus, your community really needs the energy, creativity and fresh perspectives that youth have to offer!

The first volunteer organization was founded in 1688 in Quebec City to help the many residents who had lost everything in a ravaging fire. Over the next 200 years, charities run by religious organizations were the major source of relief for Canadians who were sick, elderly, orphaned or penniless. The late 19th century saw the rise of independent volunteer organizations, such as the St John Ambulance, the Canadian Red Cross Society and the YM/YWCA. Social reform movements, including women's groups lobbying for the right to vote, also mushroomed during that period.

Did you know that the formal programs of support that have helped make Canada the envy of the world our system of universal health care and our so-called "social safety net" were pioneered by volunteers? Beginning early in the 20th century, and especially after the two World Wars with the Great Depression sandwiched in between, volunteer organizations persuaded the government to take more responsibility for the health and social well-being of its citizens.

Today, volunteers continue to work hard providing services that respond to current needs and advocating for changes that would make the quality of life in our communities even better. But the earlier notion of charity as dependence on others has disappeared. The goal is now to empower individuals from disadvantaged groups by making them more self-reliant.

Volunteers are active in an enormous range of areas: social service, health, education, heritage, sports, recreation, arts, culture, environmental protection, crime prevention and international development. They help run food banks, emergency shelters and crisis hotlines. They manage recreational programs, little league teams and cultural groups. They serve in our hospitals, schools and museums. They teach literacy skills, help protect the environment and make our communities safer. They help immigrants adjust to their new life in our country and assist people in developing countries all over the world. Plus so much more!

Whether on the front-line helping others, on fundraising committees, or on boards of directors for voluntary organizations, volunteers play a critical role in our society. They plan, organize and deliver an enormous range of services in our communities. They also advocate for worthy causes and promote social equality.

Imagine for a moment what would happen to your community if every volunteer was suddenly to quit. Just think about the impact on the lives of so many Canadians... on the lives of people you know!

Here are some of the specific benefits volunteering could offer:

• a greater sense of autonomy
  • ability to take on more responsibility
  • increased confidence to take the initiative
  • increased openness to explore new roles and new situations
  • greater sense of control over your own life
• increased confidence in social situations
  • more ease in relating to others
  • greater comfort in dealing with new people
  • experience dealing with people at different levels within an organization
• a more positive self-image
  • increased self-esteem and self-confidence
  • greater sense of personal worth and competence
• increased self-awareness
  • better understanding of your personal abilities, strengths and interests
  • better understanding of the types of activities you do well
  • a chance to discover hidden talents
  • opportunities to clarify what you want to do with your life
• new insights and perspectives
  • new knowledge by being exposed to new settings and new experiences
  • better understanding of individual differences by being exposed to people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, races, ages and abilities
  • increased awareness of the special needs and circumstances of others
  • a stronger and more conscious set of personal values and beliefs
  • a stronger sense of belonging to your community
  • increased insight into social issues and community challenges
• stronger skills
  • improved work readiness' skills (the ability to manage time, assume responsibility and see a task through to completion, etc.)
  • sharpening of your existing skills through practice in real-life situations
  • development of new skills through new experiences and special training
  • improved ability to work with others as a team
  • practical experience in problem-solving and decision-making
  • opportunities to develop your potential to be a leader.
  • What a bonus doing something to help others while also gaining experience that benefits you!

Times are tough for young people preparing to enter the labour market. No kidding, eh? It's lean and mean out there, and the level of skills required seems to be skyrocketing everywhere. But volunteering can give you an edge when you make the transition from school to the paid workplace. It's a proven way to gain valuable skills and practical knowledge. It also shows that you can function in a work environment and offers opportunities to demonstrate what you are capable of doing. Plus, volunteering allows you to build your network and even gives you experience with the dreaded interview process. All this will help you stand out from the crowd.

There's no doubt that volunteer activities have become an asset when you search for paid work. Most employers today count volunteering as valid work experience. What's more, some even make an effort to look for volunteer experience when hiring new staff because this shows that a candidate has initiative and cares about the community.

Not only that, a growing number of college and university programs are giving priority to students who are active in their community. This means that volunteer work could improve your chances of getting accepted in the program of your choice or getting a financial award (a bursary or scholarship).

There is also good evidence to suggest that volunteer involvement could increase your odds of finding a meaningful job one that really interests you and allows you to use your talents and skills, not just one that pays the bills. Because volunteering allows you to explore your interests and sample new roles, it can be an important tool in planning your worklife. You may be able to discover whether a particular type of job is really what you'd like to do over the long term or not. And you might even have the chance to try out activities that are directly related to an occupation you're considering.

Your formal education is critical to your future success in the workplace. Absolutely! But volunteering offers you concrete experiences in real-life work situations that will complement your classroom learning. This hands-on experience helps gives you an understanding of how organizations work and how you can work well with others at various levels. Plus, if you volunteer with an organization, you should be able to get the training you need to carry out your assigned duties successfully and to develop skills for the future.

In fact, if work experience is what you need, volunteering could offer a lot more opportunities than minimum-wage jobs. Because voluntary organizations (charities and non-profits) are active in so many areas, the possibilities are almost endless. These include public relations, marketing, finance, organizational management, education and training, arts and culture, science and technology not just social and health services, as you may have assumed.

Just how do you ensure that you're building a platform to the future? One way is to keep track of your volunteer experiences by creating a data bank' to use as the basis for writing your r‚sum‚, preparing applications for employment and getting ready for job interviews. If you take time to reflect upon your volunteer experiences, you'll have a better understanding of the knowledge and skills you're building. Hopefully, you'll also figure out how all this could be useful as you face a future more challenging than previous generations.

No matter what our age, we all have our own unique set of skills which help build our self-confidence and add to our self-esteem. Our skills are directly linked not only to how well we do a job but also to how fulfilled we feel doing it. Certain skills give us a lot of personal satisfaction, and these are usually the ones that we're good at. So, for any work we do to be enjoyable, we must be able to use a good number of such skills.

Of course, skills are critical to our ability to function in the paid workplace. But there's more to it than that. We also need to build our skills if we want to play an active role in our community and help find solutions to the complex challenges that face our modern society.

Transferable skills provide a base that allows us to adapt to new activities, new work situations or even an entirely new type of job with relative ease (that is, with a minimum of preparation and training). Consider this example: the skills you'd need as a volunteer to organize a fundraising event for a local charity are useful to, and therefore transferable to, many different kinds of jobs in the labour market.

All transferable skills increase your chances of finding employment. But certain skills have a higher transfer value' than others these are the ones employers judge to be the most valuable, no matter what the job or organization.

These essential skills for employment can be summarized as follows:

• effective oral communication
• effective written communication
• logical and critical thinking
• creative, innovative thinking
• the ability to work well with others
• self-confidence and initiative
• a positive attitude towards work
• a keen sense of responsibility for your actions
• eagerness to continue to grow and to learn.

Studies on the modern workplace also stress the need for employees who are very flexible able to cope with, and adapt to, new challenges that result from constant change in technology and in the structure of organizations. What's more, it is assumed that computer savvy will be a pre-requisite for most, if not all, of the jobs in the future.

This means that you really have to plan for the future now more than ever before. OK but what exactly does volunteering have to do with this? If you target your assignments carefully, you can build all of these job-related skills through volunteer work. The opportunity is out there.

Core skills form the set of skills you'll need to enter the labour market toady. Since they form the foundation required to find and keep most jobs, they are job-readiness' skills. These core skills focus on a basic level of competence in:

• reading, writing and numeracy skills
• oral communication
• thinking skills
• social skills
• the ability to manage yourself
• the ability to work in a team setting
• computer literacy.

And, here's something interesting: studies are showing that your level of mastery in these core skill areas is not necessarily linked to the marks you get in school!

Transferable skills are a higher order than core skills. They're needed in a wide range of jobs in many different organizations, and they can be transferred from one work setting to another. Because these skills are highly marketable, they're sure to increase your opportunities for employment.

Transferable skills relate to such areas as:

• interpersonal relations
• oral communication
• written communication
• problem-solving
• analysis and logical thinking
• creative thinking
• organizing people or things
• teaching others.

Job-specific skills are specialized or highly technical skills that are closely tied to the content of a specific job, to specific standards and regulations or to a specific field of knowledge. Because they cannot be readily transferred from one work setting to another, they are not as marketable as transferable skills.

Examples of activities that demand job-specific skills are:

• operating a data analysis system that was custom-designed
• applying specialized knowledge to the development of a new technology
• analyzing specific symptoms relating to problems of physical or mental health.

Because most program managers are aware that a good match between the volunteer and the assigned role is critical to success, they welcome volunteers who know their strengths and express their preferences. So, take some time to think about your interests, skills, personal traits, values and concerns. This will make it easier for you to tally up your current assets and point out your potential when you apply for volunteer positions. And, you'll probably find that you already have a lot more to offer than you thought!

To figure out whether a volunteer role is right for you, start by asking for a written description of the position. This should clarify the following points:

• What is the nature, scope and purpose of the position?
• What are the key duties, responsibilities and specific tasks are involved?
• What skills are needed to do the job?
• What is the chain of command? Who supervises the activities?
• How does the position relate to other roles in the organization, both volunteer and salaried?

Next, visit the organization to get a sense of the overall environment and more information on the position. If you're asked to go to a formal interview, look at this as an opportunity to get the answers to your own questions. For instance, you'll want to be very sure that you'll get the support you need to do the assignment well.

Here are some questions to ask:

• What kind of training and support would I receive?
• What kinds of skills and practical knowledge could I develop?
• Will I get regular feedback on my performance?
• Will I receive a written appraisal after a set period of time?
• Will my supervisor keep a record of my service?
• Will I have opportunities to take on more responsibility when I'm ready?
• What amount of time would be required - number of hours a week and length of the commitment? (Be realistic about the amount of time you can commit since it's easier to start small and increase your time than to have to cut back later.)
• Does the organization help with out-of-pocket expenses related to the assignment such as transportation or parking costs?

You'll be amazed how sophisticated the field of volunteer management is. It's fully recognized today that all volunteers have talents and interests that must be carefully matched with volunteer positions. That's why volunteers are screened, placed, trained and supported in a way that will give them the best chance of succeeding at their job. The guiding principle is this: the more you get out of your volunteer experience, the more you'll give back to the organization.

A well-run organization will try its best to meet the expectations of its volunteers. But, don't loose sight of the fact that the organization exists to meet its stated goals to serve a specific client group, to promote a specific cause or to solve a specific problem. Any involvement of volunteers must be towards that end.

Also, don't be surprised if you have to go through a thorough screening process, especially if the assignment involves working one-to-one with clients. This may include in-depth interviews, reference checks and even background checks. True, this may be a bit intimidating but keep in mind that the issue here is protection your own, the clients' and the community's.

If you're thinking about volunteering for the very first time, the idea may seem a little overwhelming. Here are some tools that should give you a good sense of what is involved and help increase your comfort level.

This zone is hotlinked to web sites offering information and ideas that could be important to your future, both as a citizen and a wage-earner.

Youth Action Network
Suite 410
67 Richmond Street West
Toronto, Ontario, M5H 1Z5

(416) 368-2277

YAN is a national, youth-run organization with a mission to empower young Canadians to take action on social and environmental issues. YAN's Resource Action Centre connects young people with the information and contacts they need to take action and publishes a print magazine four times a year. YAN also works to persuade our education systems to actively encourage students to get more involved in pressing local and global issues.