Andrea Klaeijsen

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International SeminarThe recognition of
volunteer experience

• Andrea Klaeijsen
• Knowledge Centre for
• Vocational Education and Labour Market
• Ermelo, 20 January 2005

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Is there a broad basis for the recognition of
volunteer experience?
What do volunteers and volunteer organisations
think about recognition of volunteer experience?
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Introduction
Recognition of Prior Learning in Voluntary
Work Project by NIZW (the Netherlands Institute
for Care and Welfare) en Civiq (Knowledge Centre
and consultancy agency for volunteer work. Phase
1 two studies
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Study 1

• Central question Do volunteer organisations
  consider recognition of volunteer experience to
  be desirable and feasible?
• Interviews with volunteers, local volunteer
  organisations and national organisations in 5
  sectors Sports, Care and Welfare, Education,
  Youth Work (including Scouting) and Church
  Politics

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Results study 1 (I)

• Is recognition of volunteer experience desirable?
• Yes, according to
• National organisations 75
• Local organisations 50

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Results study 1 (II)
Why recognition? Importance for volunteers
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Results study 1 (III)

• Why recognition? Importance for local
  organisations

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Results study 1 (IV)

• Is recognition of volunteer experience feasible?
• Yes, but
• essential preconditions (time, money, etc.)
• which standard is to be used?
• national qualification standard
• standard for voluntary work

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Study 2

• Central question Which kind of volunteers are
  interested in the possibilities of recognition?
•  
• A written survey covering 182 volunteers of three
  different local organisations (including a
  Scouting organisation) in the sectors Care and
  Welfare and Youth Work

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Results study 2 (I)

• The opinion of volunteers
• 70 of the 182 volunteers are interested in the
  possibilities of recognition of volunteer
  experience
• What kind of recognition do they want?
• What do they expect to gain by recognition?
• Who are these volunteers?

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Results study 2 (II)
volunteers that wants this kind of recognition
(n148)
volunteers that is receiving this kind of
recognition (n163)

a certificate or degree
credits for parts of a course
exemption for parts of a course
one or more of these options
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Results study 2 (III)
Areas in which volunteers expect to benefit from
RPL (n167)
Areas in which volunteers expect to benefit most
(n139)
personal development
easier to find a (new) job
educational gain
better in their voluntary work
better in their current job
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Results study 2 (IV)

• Which volunteers are interested in recognition of
  volunteer experience?
• Volunteers who are
• Younger
• Taking courses and/or
• Trying to find a (new) job

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Study 2 differences between organisations (I)
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Study 2 differences between organisations (II)
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Study 2 Differences between organisations
explained

• The high interest in recognition by Scouting
  volunteers can be explained by
• The age of the volunteers
• Their stage in life taking courses, trying to
  find jobs
• The learning climate in the organisation

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Overall conclusion

• Volunteers as well as volunteer organisations are
  highly interested in the possibilities of
  recognition of volunteer experience.

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Statements made by two Scouts

• In my work as a volunteer I learn a lot that
  might be of interest to employers as well. It
  isnt always easy though to makes the things you
  learn explicit. Within Scouting those things are
  obvious. Recognition of volunteer experience
  makes it obvious to the outside world as well.
• You dont work as a volunteer to gain
  recognition, you volunteer to contribute to
  society.