If you are looking for a summer job or are interested in a gap year, voluntary
work abroad may be the perfect way to gain valuable experience. With a volunteer
project you will get professional and personal experience as well as improve
your career choices. But experience abroad will allow you also to learn about
another culture and encourage personal development, co-operation, tolerance
and open-mindedness.
There are many organisations which will help place you in the perfect work
experience job. We will give a list of different organisations throughout this
article, focusing on volunteer organisations.
| You will find more information on summer jobs, holiday jobs
or internship abroad in our other articles in the column on the left side
of this page. You will find also details on visa and health insurance in
these sections. |
What is a volunteer job
Volunteer service is offered by choice - it is not mandated or coerced. It
contributes to the well-being of an individual or the community, and is usually
coordinated by a non-profit or public sector organization, and in theory it
does not pay any salary or wage.
Volunteer work is often equated with unpaid work, and people who contribute
their time and energy freely to build a better community don't necessarily get
the support systems and recognition they deserve. However volunteers who work
during their summer holiday should be provided with accommodation and often
a small amount of money for their personal needs.
The European Voluntary Service (EVS)
The European Voluntary Service (EVS) is a European Union programme, set
up by the European Commission in early 1996. It offers young people (between
18 and 25) the opportunity to work as a volunteer for six to twelve months
in a non-profit project abroad. Three partners are the key partners of
an EVS project: the volunteer, the sending organisation and the host organisation.
The European Commission is in charge of the travel costs for young people,
the insurance (health, accident, public liability) and provides a monthly
allowance from 140 to 220 euros.
How to proceed: Find a sending organisation that will assist you
personally along the procedure (you can find contacts through you National
Agency, your National Coordinator or international volunteer organisations).
Start contacting potential host organisations through your sending organisation.
Keep your fingers crossed and persevere in your search as the difficulty
is not to find a suitable project, but to find a project ready to host
you within the time limit you have planned.
You can have a look at the European
database on accredited host organisations and the Youth
organisations.
More information also on the website http://www.britishcouncil.org
|
Volunteering in Ireland
A lot of charities and volunteer organisations exist throughout Ireland, and opportunities
depend on what you are looking for.
Many volunteer placements include free accommodation and food but make sure you
establish this before beginning work.
- Volunteer (http://www.volunteer.ie/
) : Named VCI ,the national organisation with responsibility for developing
volunteering in Ireland, both nationally and locally.
- Volunteering Ireland (http://www.volunteeringireland.com/
): This is the National Volunteer Development Agency create in 1997.
They are an independent membership-based organisation that inspires, promotes,
supports and facilitates voluntary activity in Ireland.
Volunteering Ireland promotes high quality voluntary activity by encouraging
organisations which involve volunteers to adopt good policy and practice,
and by acting as a link between such organisations and individuals who wish
to undertake meaningful voluntary work.
Camphill Communities
Camphill Communities run volunteer placements throughout the world. Volunteers
work in communities with adults with special needs.
Callan Projects (http://callanprojects.camphill.ie)
provides a database of links to various Camphill communities around the world
You will be expected to work for 6 days a week and it is usually preferred that
you stay for at least one year.
Nobody in Camphill gets any wages. Each gives the benefit of their work to
the community and is supported through the work of others. As a volunteer co-worker
you will be given a room of your own, you will have your meals as a member of
the household and will be supplied with the basic necessities of living.
Insurance
Wherever you go, it is recommended that you take out travel insurance. It will
cover any event that might occur when you are abroad. Moreover this is mandatory
for a lot of work in "exotic" countries.
We have selected below a series of companies to help you in your choice.
Of course you might find others on the Internet.
- Coverworks Worldwide
Travel Insurance: Coverworks Travel Insurance was established to specialise
in providing dependable and affordable cover for both the backpacker and for
the independent traveller.
- Insure & Go: Cheap
cover online for gap years & backpacking, skiing, adventure travel, single
trips & annual travel.
- Go Travel
Insurance: This is a leading provider of online travel insurance for UK
& Irish residents
| You might also look at our other articles on Summer Jobs
and Internship abroad on the left column of this page. |
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