A report issued by the IES (Institute of Employment Studies) and commissioned by V (The National Young Volunteer’s Service) found that volunteering was increasingly important in engaging and encouraging vulnerable and low skilled individuals.

Becci Newton, senior research fellow at the institute and one of the authors of that report, said that a majority of the students had no plans to continue their learning and development before they heard about volunteering.

“Volunteering seems to have been really positive in developing their aspirations and giving them a bit of career insight, which helps them start to build a direction for themselves. It has a lot of potential to sustain their engagement,” she explained.

The report also supports the assumption that many young people see volunteering as a means to boost their employability and their CV in a harsh jobs market.

Although many of the young people that were surveyed had no plans to gain further qualifications through school or college, they were more open to gaining skills and furthering their education through volunteering abroad.

With such a great selection of volunteer projects available, young people are finding that volunteering abroad not only allows them to help communities which are less off than their own but also a chance to travel and explore. Combining the two means a great experience that can’t be matched elsewhere.

Have a look at our range of Volunteer work to find out how you can get involved.