Volunteer Service Requirements

While 40 hours of community involvement hours are required for secondary school students to complete in order to receive their graduation diploma, students can gain a great deal from their volunteering experiences. Not only does the student gain valuable insight into activities going on in their community, but they also valuable social and leadership skills that will serve them well in the future.

The following article is reprinted from "The Career Opportunity Information Network."

The Value of Volunteering

Employment counselors know how challenging it can be to get a job. However, they also know the value of volunteering and getting involved in order to gain valuable experience. Take a look at why these extra activities can really pay off in the long run…

Entering the job market can be overwhelming, especially if you have little or no experience. How are you supposed to gain experience if an employer won't hire you without it? This statement is true only when it comes to paying jobs and paid experience. Think outside the job search box and pursue challenging and rewarding non-paid experiences.

Recently, an employer survey was conducted by Job Gym to find out what criteria are important to employers when they hire new employees. The top three criteria were personality and attitude, basic qualifications and skills and previous experience.

Your qualification, skills and experience can derive from a number of sources, including volunteer, extracurricular involvement at school and community involvement. These sources are a great way to see where your strengths are and to discover what you enjoy doing. Transferable skills are gained through involvement, whether it is big or small. Here are more reasons to get involved in your community…

Even though you are not getting paid, you are still gaining experience and transferable skills to be used in future jobs. Did you know that 70 to 90% of available jobs are found through networking? Extra activities are a great way to tap into the "hidden job market".

In just a few hours a week, you can make a positive contribution. Helping out with a charity, cleaning up in the neighbourhood park or working with challenged individuals are just a few ways to work with others in your community.

Wouldn't it be great to know that you did something positive for your neighbourhood!