International Citizen ServiceVolunteer development

• Volunteering is associated with a 27% higher chance of employment, and the effect is especially strong for those without a high school diploma or who live in rural areas. (Corporation for National & Community Service, 2013)

• Volunteers have a better chance of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers. (United Way, 2014)

• 87% of employers think that volunteering can have a generally positive effect on career progression for people aged 16-25 (Institute for Volunteering Service, 2013)

• 20% of employees said volunteering helped their communications skills, 19% said their team working abilities were improved and 10% said their time management had improved. (TimeBank, 2013)

• When recruiting, 80% of employers value volunteering on a CV. (TimeBank, 2013)

• Volunteering helps foster employees’ management and leadership skills while broadening their horizon through the international experience. (Gatchalian, 2014)

Some quick stats

Volunteer development

The entire ICS programme is built on 7 quality principles which underpins all the work we do. One of these is:

Personal Development – “ICS takes personal development seriously – both for volunteers from the UK and from the countries where we work. We know that on-going support by ICS staff and team leaders while you are overseas helps you achieve more on your work placement and gives you the chance to develop. By stretching yourself and taking on new challenges you can gain confidence and experience.”

This is supported by another ICS quality principle which is:

Supported Learning – “ICS volunteers receive training before they start their work placement to support cross-cultural understanding and learning and increase knowledge of international development. On-going guidance and mentoring on placement helps you to reflect on your experiences and learning and increases the skills and motivation you can utilize once your work placement finishes.”

ICS volunteers gain new skills on placement, these include:

• A growth in confidence• Becoming more independent and resilient• Becoming more self motivated• Team working and facilitation skills• Increased communication skills• Planning and project management skills• New problem solving abilities• A better understanding of global issues• Learning about other cultures and ways of life

Impact on the volunteer

Some of the skills gainedLeadership - Leading on projects and work groups as well as social and community events not to mention your Action at Home project. Opportunities to become a Team Leader.

Project Planning – Planning community activities, organising a small income generating activity, Action at Home etc.

Communication – Articles for your local paper, blogging, creating promotional/ information leaflets, speaking on radio, using interpreters, public speaking, interviews with the press, talking to an MP etc.

Fundraising - Sought after skill in the charity sector. It requires the ability to persuade, present, market, advertise, manage, socialise, inspire, communicate etc.

Training & Facilitating - Helping a community group decide what development project would benefit them ,training someone in English.

Certificate

Your achievement is also recognised by David Cameron!

Liam -Burkino Faso - International Service

“I'm now a Consultant at PwC, one of the world's largest professional services firms...I've found that my time with International Service ICS developed a wide range of skills...My first real experience of project management and stakeholder engagement was while I was in Burkina Faso and these are critical skills for consultants and anyone working in professional services.!”

Rosanna – Zimbabwe – Progressio“On returning to the UK, I started my new job at UBS...I feel my ICS experience has

benefitted my work ...I think the main thing I learnt by participating in ICS was how to cope with being taken out of my comfort zone and how to overcome challenges in difficult environments. As a result, I’m more confident in different and challenging situations.

 

“Some people who want to go into corporate careers might think ICS isn’t for them but I think ICS is a valuable experience for all young people. Even if you have loads of work experience in your chosen career, talking about ICS could make you stand out from the other applicants and will be interesting to talk about in interviews”

What our volunteers say

• Think about the sort of work you’d ideally like to get into before going on placement. Look at the experience requirements for these roles and try to identify areas for personal growth. You can then apply this to your ICS placement to ensure you get the most from it.

• Chat to people and organisations you’re interested in working with (LinkedIN is great for this sort of networking). Find out how they’d view an ICS placement and what they’d expect a volunteer to get from the experience. Also ask about the core skills they look for amongst potential employees.

• Carrying out an Action at Home project is an incredible opportunity for volunteers to use their initiative and newly acquired (and existing) skills to make a difference in their local community. Make use of this to really showcase your personal talents; it’ll become another CV selling point!

Some useful tips

www.facebook.com/ics

@ICS_UK

#ICS4Change

International Citizen Service

www.youtube.com/UKICS

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Any Questions?