Volunteer work and learning: hidden dimensions of labour force training. Authors: Daniel Schugurensky and Karsten Mundel. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education OISE /University of Toronto, CA, 2005. International Handbook of Educational Policy.
Volunteering: a tool for inclusion? Magazine of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN). Special issue on the 2011 European Year of Volunteering, March 2011. NO. 134 | 2011/I
* 2011 European Year on Volunteering – A space for anti-poverty organizations to engage
* Volunteering and the Fight against Poverty and Social Exclusion – towards an EAPN Position
* Portugal: Being a volunteer versus promoting volunteering
* The UK Government: Big Society and Volunteering
* Volunteering in Bulgaria – the Need for a Modern Vision
* Poland, willing to move on towards a strategic approach on volunteering
* The recognition of volunteering time as in-kind contribution in Structural Funds
* The 100 million Europeans volunteering deserve recognition
* Eurodiaconia: the multifaceted value of volunteering
First European Employee Volunteering Awards 2011 : Businesses across Europe are recognised for improving the employability skills of people who face barriers to work.
On 17 March winners of the first European Employee Volunteering Awards 2011 were announced at an exclusive reception held at Business in the Community’s (BITC) Responsible Business Convention 2011.
BITC developed the Awards scheme with 21 European partners from the CSR360 Global Partner Network in recognition of the European Year of Volunteering 2011.
Sue Adkins, International Director, BITC said: “Employment continues to be a central concern for the European Union, in particular the importance of addressing barriers to employment, experienced in more disadvantaged communities. Around 100 million Europeans engage in some form of voluntary activity – if they were a country they would be the biggest member state of the EU. BITC is delighted to be supporting the first European Employee Volunteering Awards and celebrate the wonderful contributions that these millions of volunteers make every day.”
Over 250 entries from 22 countries across Europe were received:
The Final awards event took place in London, UK but the Awards were run in 22 countries across Europe:
The European Employee Volunteering Awards were co-funded by the European Commission and kindly supported by Alliance Boots, Hewlett Packard and Tata Consultancy Services.
The awards ceremony included a poster exhibition of the 60 national award winners and the launch of a Case Study report showcasing best practice from across Europe.
The Awards were presented by:
Ornella Barra – Chief Executive, Pharmaceutical Division, Alliance Boots;
Brendan Burns – Member of the European Economic and Social Committee;
Jane Hodgen, UK&I Human Resources, Tata Consultancy Services;
Sue Bird – DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission and
John MacDonald – Head of Task Force for the European Year of Volunteering 2011, European Commission.
Awards were given for the following 5 category winners:
Large Company Winner: Koç Holding A.Ş. (Turkey)
Small Company Winner: NORSYS (France)
Innovation Winner: MITIE Group (United Kingdom)
Newcomer Winner: Abbott (Ireland)
Public Authorities Winner: Magistrate of the City of Wiesbaden, Office for Social Affairs (Germany)
Through rewarding company’s Employee Volunteering Schemes, BITC hopes to increase the level of employee engagement, particularly during 2011, the European Year of the Volunteer and the UN Year of the Volunteer.
The Case Study Report demonstrates the value of corporate volunteering and how at these uncertain economic times, businesses can play a crucial role in enabling people back into work.
For more information about the European Employee Volunteering Awards please visit: http://www.bitc.org.uk/global/european_volunteering_awards/index.html
For more information about removing barriers to work please visit: http://www.bitc.org.uk/community/employability/work_inclusion.html
For more information about setting up employee volunteering programmes please visit: http://www.bitc.org.uk/community/employee_volunteering/
For more information about setting up employee volunteering programmes internationally please visit: http://engagetoolkit.bitc.org.uk/
EUCIS-LLL Annual Conference 2011 on Volunteering within Education & Training
The European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS-LLL) gathers 25 European networks working in education and training. Together, these organisations cover all sectors of education and training including networks for higher education, vocational education and training, adult education and popular education; networks for students, school heads, parents, HRD professionals, teachers and trainers. Through its members, EUCIS-LLL embodies lifelong learning.
Volunteers play an essential role within education and training organisations in the formal and non-formal systems. For instance, it is crucial to look at the role of volunteering to develop skills and competencies for personal, social and civic development as well as to look at ways of recognizing or validating them. Educational providers have also a specific role to play regarding volunteering in terms of guidance and training. The conference tackled these issues notably during its four thematic workshops. It took place during the European Year 2011 on Volunteering and aimed to contribute to the debates by providing a specific insight on lifelong learning. Experts from the various sectors and levels of education and training participated to share their experiences and worked on policy recommendations.
Older people and volunteering Factsheet, EUROFOUND - European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 15 February, 2011
Older people have typically been seen as the beneficiaries of voluntary activities. Indeed, the role of voluntary services is likely to become increasingly important in the context of cuts in state-provided welfare services and payments as a result of the economic crisis. However, increasing attention is also being paid to the contribution and potential of older people as voluntary workers.
Workshop What role for international volunteers in Humanitarian Aid and Development?
The Hungarian EU Presidency in cooperation with AVSO (Association of Voluntary Service Organisations) organised the workshop discussion on "What role for international volunteers in Humanitarian Aid and Development" as a contribution to the 2011 European Year of Volunteering. The event examined the role of international volunteering in humanitarian crisis situations and in linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD) as well as examining the potential of the European Humanitarian Volunteer Aid Corps (EVHAC).
Core questions addressed in the conference:
· What is the added value of international volunteers in disaster situations?
· How can young volunteers best contribute?
· What do volunteers learn in terms of awareness of development issues?
· What are the real outcomes of international volunteering projects?
· What is in it for Europe and the hosting country?
· What would be the best shape and form for the EVHAC initiative?
This round table discussion took place during the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and under the auspices of the Hungarian EU Presidency.
During the European Year there was a lot of discussion already about Europeans volunteering in Europe. However, more consideration and focus should be given also about how and in what capacity Europeans give their time and skills outside of Europe, especially in other regions of the world, which suffer from poverty, disasters, and complex humanitarian crises.
This round table discussion was held one day after the next Council meeting on Humanitarian Aid and relief, and would like to provide an input into the Council Conclusions on the EVHAC initiative.
Meeting Venue: Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, Rue de Trèves 92-98, 1040 Brussels
VALUE: Draft Romania National Report. This document reports on the interaction between University Lifelong Learning (ULLL) and volunteering in Romania. Published by the VALUE Project, January 20110 (Authors: Ramona Dragomir – Pro Vobis National Volunteer Centre, January 2010 version DRAFT)
Available in English
VALUE: Slovenia National Report. This document reports on the interaction between University Lifelong Learning (ULLL) and volunteering in Slovenia. Published by the VALUE Project, 2009 (Authors: Katarina Košmrlj, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper)
Available in English and Slovenian