Expert Volunteers - the silver bullet?
Last week I attended the Expert Volunteer Summit hosted by Careers Development Group (CDG), a charity that seeks to help the unemployed find and sustain meaningful employment. They have recently launched their Expert Volunteer Initiative based upon the proposal that the government’s approach to reduce unemployment is not enough on its own – we need collaboration between the government, voluntary and community organisations and the private sector.
At the Summit, CDG’s Chief Executive Roy O’Shaughnessy admitted that he has a personal interest in the initiative in that his niece is one of the UK’s long-term unemployed who is finding it difficult to get back into work. His particular concern is for the hard-to-reach who remain untouched by any existing measure to get people back to work. He wants a fresh look at the system, and wants to ensure a continuous transfer of skills, experts and knowledge between the haves and have-nots.
Can it be done?
The aim is ambitious: the proposal is that a volunteering initiative can reach the hitherto unreachable and succeed where all other attempts have failed. Could skilled volunteering be the silver bullet that solves the problem of long-term unemployment?
The initial aim is to target 10-25% of the hard-to-reach group in a systematic way. Roy O’Shaughnessy sees that the collaboration necessary for this requires the organisations from the voluntary and private sectors to look at the initiative in a non-competitive way, without worrying about giving up any competitive advantage, and without being protective of their own territories.
CDG plans to set up workable models across the UK between now and June 2011, and test them out. Costs and benefits will be examined, and the programme will be structured accordingly.
The evidence
Reach, a charity working with skilled volunteers, has been responsible for the volunteer recruitment for CDG’s AddOne pilot scheme in Guildford. Reach began with the proposition that expert volunteers are interested in working alongside the jobless, and that in being involved they will make a difference.
The research behind the pilot scheme was designed to gauge the level of interest in the initiative, and was done using Reach’s register of active volunteers (an already engaged audience) and an omnibus panel. In a total sample of 2, 579 responses, 1289 were classified by Reach as ‘expert volunteer’. What was found was a fairly high level of interest in being a career mentor to the long-term unemployed, both from expert volunteers and those who didn’t fit that category. The prime motivator for everyone was putting their experience to good use. This was followed by the desire to help people in difficult circumstances.
Reach’s target was to recruit 8 volunteers in the Guildford area. It found more than 500 potentially available volunteers within 25 miles, and approached 60 of them. 15 expressed an interest.
So far, then, Reach has validated the first part of its proposition – that expert volunteers are interested in giving their time and experience to support the long-term unemployed. The second part of the proposition, that expert volunteers can offer positive support to reduce long-term unemployment, is still being tested with the continuing pilot scheme.
Whether or not expert volunteers are the answer to long-term unemployment remains to be seen. But CDG’s commitment to and enthusiasm for the initiative are impressive, and their emphasis on collaboration between sectors may well help to break new ground. I would hope that as much emphasis is placed upon breaking down barriers set up by employers and the workplace as it is on working through barriers that may be within the unemployed themselves. It was heartening to hear such faith in the power and potential of volunteering, and the atmosphere at the summit was optimistic and engaged– members of the audience really did seem keen to help move the initiative forward and make it a reality.
Anyone who would like to contribute their thoughts or be involved in the initiative is encouraged to so by emailing volunteers@cdguk.org.
My full report of the Summit is available here.
For anyone who's interested in getting involved, the proposed next steps are as follows:
(1) Creating a working group consisting of representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors, which will be inaugurated by the end of November 2010. Nominations to the group are now open and further information can be gained be emailing volunteers@cdguk.org
(2) Addressing via a ‘green paper’ report and consultation, the issues raised by the 80 delegates from across the public, private and third sector at the summit.
These issues include mapping the overall strategy to deliver the initiative, whether the current name needs to be adapted to more accurately reflect the initiative and how to attract and manage volunteers and support organisations which wish to become involved.
The ‘green paper’ will be produced by the working group with secretariat support from CDG. After the responses have been received, a final framework will be produced by the working group.
(3) Showcasing existing volunteering initiatives which support people back into work thereby helping voluntary, public and private sector organisations - including welfare to work providers - to adapt the framework for their own circumstances.