Volunteering and Employability

Transcription

1 Volunteering and Employability Volunteer involving organisations as labour market intermediaries Christine Reilly Annual Symposium

2 Volunteering Definitions Defining principles: Unpaid; Of one s own free will; and Of benefit to others. Research perspectives Framed by the two paradigm approach (Lyons et al, 1998); and The three perspectives model (Rochester, 2006). Ellis Paine et al (2010) suggest that there are spectrums of each of these along which volunteering can be placed. This research focuses on formal volunteering and its relationship with paid work. Annual Symposium

3 Employability Definition Factors affecting employability (Deloitte and Touche, 2001: 73) Research perspective Interconnectivity of individual, employer and labour market factors (McQuaid & Lindsay, 2005); Applies to those in the labour market as well as those seeking to enter it. Annual Symposium

4 Context Government policy on unemployment; Volunteering as a tool of policy; and The role of the volunteering infrastructure. predicated on the assumption that volunteering is analogous to paid work (Lee, 2010) Annual Symposium

5 Existing research Volunteering and employability: conventional wisdom (e.g. Gay, 1998; Lee, 2010); Qualitative differences between volunteering and paid work (e.g. Danson, 2003; Lee, 2010); Volunteering can have an impact (e.g. VDS, 2010) It can stop short of enhancing employability (e.g. Hirst, 2000; Cordon & Sainsbury 2005; Lee, 2010) Annual Symposium

6 The evidence gaps What is driving the volunteering and employability agenda? The role of volunteer involving organisations; Employers views of volunteering; and Variance within volunteering and employability. Annual Symposium

7 The research aim To understand employers views of volunteering as a route to enhanced employability in the context of an increasing number of employability programmes funded by government and delivered by volunteer involving organisations in Scotland Annual Symposium

8 Research questions 1. What is the role of government (Scottish, UK and local) in relation to employability programmes delivered through volunteer involving organisations? 2. What roles do volunteer involving organisations have in supporting individuals into and through the labour market? 3. What are employers attitudes to volunteering, including the status they give it in terms of recruitment, retention and promotion? Annual Symposium

9 Research Process Conceptual and Literature Review (October 2010 June 2011) Initial Methodological Development (March August 2011) Pilot Study & Methodological Review (August 2011 September 2011) Fieldwork Stage One: VIO Interviews and Employer Survey (Oct 2011 Jan 2012) Fieldwork Stage Two : Employer interviews (Jan 2012 Jul 2012) Annual Symposium

10 Initial methodology Qualitative research Case study method Volunteer-involving organisations (stage one) Employers (stage two) Interviews and document review Initial recruitment through personal contacts, thereafter through replication logic Annual Symposium

11 Fieldwork themes Volunteer involvers Document reviews and interviews, examining: Employability programmes Role in the labour market Employability clients Volunteering activities Employability support Employers Document reviews and interviews, examining: General volunteering Recruitment behaviours Retention and promotion Volunteer involving employers Annual Symposium

12 Pilot study volunteer involver Large volunteer involving organisation which is involved in the delivery of several employability programmes, including those funded by local and UK government: Concern raised about the status of volunteering particularly in relation to Job Centre Plus but organisations need a workforce; There is a mismatch between who VIO s need, and the volunteers provided through employability programmes (and demographic shift) ; Funded employability programmes have targets that don t always match the local population and timescales of interventions, and targets are difficult to meet; and There has been a shift from getting people into work, to getting people into volunteering. Annual Symposium

13 Pilot study - employer Small, voluntary organisation where interviewee has personal experience of volunteering and is largely positive about it: Volunteering is an important indicator of skills and motivation; Accredited volunteering is valuable where it focuses on skills rather than time spent; Specific activities are viewed as more valuable although volunteering can be said to enhance character; Compulsory volunteering has value but the context is important; and Training given to volunteers is considered valuable in the workplace. Annual Symposium

14 Methodological review Interviews ran on too long; Likert scale attitudinal questionnaire designed for use pre-interview and for general distribution; Interview questions more focused. Annual Symposium

15 Fieldwork phase VIOs: Oct 2011 Jan 2012 Employers: Jan - July 2012 Interview recruitment via Personal contacts Snowballing Funding information Building a picture across organisations Size Sector Geography Will feed into stage two Online survey Interview recruitment via Personal contacts Snowballing Questionnaire Building a picture across organisations Size Sector Volunteer involvement Annual Symposium

16 References Cordon, A. & Sainsbury, R. (2005) Volunteering for employment skills - a qualitative research study, York: University of York. Danson, M. (2003) Review of research and evidence on volunteering, Stirling: Volunteer Development Scotland. Ellis Paine, A., Hill, M. & Rochester, C. (2010) 'A rose by any other name...'. Revisiting the question: 'what exactly is volunteering?', London: Institute for Volunteering Research. Gay, P. (1998) Getting into work: Volunteering for employability. Voluntary Action, Vol.1(1), pp Hirst, A. (2000) Links between Volunteering and Employability, Research Report RR309. London: Department for Education and Skills. Lee, J. (2010a) Labour markets: volunteering and employability. PhD, University of the West of Scotland. Lyons,M.,Wijkstrom,P.&Clary,G.(1998)Comparativestudiesofvolunteering:Whatisbeingstudied?VoluntaryAction, 1(1), McQuaid, R. W. & Lindsay, C. (2005) The Concept of Employability. Urban Studies, 42(2), Rochester, C. (2006) Making sense of volunteering. A review of the literature, London: Volunteering England. Volunteer Development Scotland. (2010). Volunteering in the UK - recession and recovery. Unpublished. Annual Symposium

17 Any questions? Annual Symposium