The Volunteering Award is an experiential learning programme developed to recognise and award the volunteering and the skills University of Leicester students develop whilst volunteering in the local community. The Award is offered by the Careers Service in partnership with local volunteering organisations.

The Volunteering Award will help you reflect on the experiences you gain as a volunteer and help you articulate the skills you have developed. All successful applicants will receive the Leicester Award; Community Engagement on their Degree Transcript.

• What will I need to do?
• Elements of the Award
• Why should I take part?
• Who can take part?
• How does it work?
  

What will I need to do?

Below are the different elements of the award. You will work your way through the award in the order set out below. However, don’t worry if you have started volunteering already. Please ask if you are in doubt.

Elements of the Award

1.  Workshop 1 - Skills analysis, reflection and planning*

Following Workshop 1 you will be completing:

Assignment 1 - includes reflection on current skills, career plans, PDP

Volunteering min 25 hours

Blogging (keeping a diary of key events, networking, skills development)

Skills workshops/event of your choice (typically 1-2 hours where you are able to develop your skills)

2.  Workshop 2 - Career planning, CV, applications and interviews*

Assignment 2 - includes CV

3.  Presentation Days 12 and 13 May*

*These element have to be completed in the order stated.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are available for the workshops. You must be available to attend all 3 workshops in order to qualify. We will provide details of dates and on-line sign-ups once term starts. See further information on the different elements of the award.

Why should I take part? 

You may or may not have considered volunteering as a way to gain new skills and enhance your CV. Increasingly, employers are looking for more than just a good honours degree. They are looking for well rounded individuals who are confident, have good people skills and proven skills such as leadership, time management, communication, problem solving and team working. Through volunteering you can develop skills beyond most paid casual work.

The Volunteering Award will enhance your experience by focusing your development and help you articulate the experience and skills you will gain.

Who can take part?

The programme is free to join and is open to all UoL students who volunteer in the local community in Leicester and Leicestershire. You need to be a member of Contact Students Volunteers to be eligible and you need to volunteer for a minimum of 25 hours in a skills developing role in a local project in Leicester or Leicestershire.

Skills developing role

What does this mean? Your volunteering role needs to have some element of training, induction or shadowing attached and you need to develop skills such as leadership, communication, negotiation, presentation, teamwork, problem solving and effective time management.

Local project

What does this mean? We ask that a minimum of 25 hours of your volunteering takes place in Leicester or Leicestershire. Volunteering helps create stronger bonds between the University and the community we are a part of. It is important to Contact Student Volunteers, The Volunteering Team and the University to have a positive impact on, and give something back to the local community in Leicester and Leicestershire.

How does it work?

You will need to attend a Volunteering Award Group Interview. Dates will be announced at the start of term - on this website and in the Contact email bulletin (You will receive this on a weekly basis once you have registered with Contact Student Volunteers).

You need to register with the Volunteering Award and book onto the workshops. You will be responsible for ensuring you are available and for booking your place.

The Volunteering Award is organised in 3 phases: Induction, Personal Development and Assessment. See what each phase comprises of below: 

Induction Phase

• Volunteering Award Group Interview- Discover why the Volunteering Award might be for you and what you will gain. Find out the details of the award. Register to take part.
• Workshop 1 - includes discovery of the potential benefits of volunteering, skills analysis, reflection on potential career options and Personal Development Planning.
• Assignment 1 - reflect on your own skills, start planning your career, create a Personal Development Plan (PDP).

Personal Development Phase

• Volunteering - we will help guide you to volunteering opportunities that can enhance your skills set.
• LAES Skills workshops - you will attend skills workshops to develop your skills. These could include presentation, teamwork, problemsolving, networking, creativity and timemanagement. This years titles and dates will be available from end of October.
• Blogging - You will keep a diary detailing key events and learning. We will offer tools and guidence on on-line identity.

Assessment Phase

• Workshop 2 - You will be working in teams reflecting on application and interview skills.
• Assignment 2 – You will submit a CV, your volunteering blog, a career plan, exercises on interview and application skills along with your initial reflections to form your portfolio.
• Oral Presentation days in early May.  You will give a 10 min presentation to the Volunteering Award panel and a small group of students.

The volunteering team will offer alternative dates to all sessions and workshops where you can chose the date to suit you. The dates for the workshops and the presentation days will be announced at the start of term. You will be able to choose your own LAES Skills Workshops to suit your own development needs.

It is up to you to choose the dates that suit you and to ensure that you are able attend all required workshops.

See the Careers Service calendar of events to view and book skills workshops.