Do you worry that you may never get that student loan paid off?
There is no doubt that volunteering can have many benefits for students: it's very rewarding; it can help you develop or gain new skills; and it can help you get experience that may ultimately help you to achieve your chosen career. But soon there may be yet another benefit.
Recognising the benefits that volunteering has for both young people and the community as a whole, the government is considering introducing a scheme that will enable young people to gain credits through volunteering that can then be used to pay university fees or clear existing student debts.
The Russell Commission has been set up by the government to develop a new national framework for youth action and participation in the UK, and according to a Labour spokeswoman, this will include 'financial elements'. It is part of a wider government programme to promote volunteering and active citizenship right across society. The Commission's report is due in October.
It is not yet clear exactly what form the scheme will take. Nor is it clear how or when the devolved governments of Northern Ireland and Wales would take on the scheme. Scotland however, is ahead of the bunch.
The government there will be launching Project Scotland, a full-time volunteering programme, in spring 2005. Project Scotland will have four main elements:
- A modular approach - up to 3 modules of 3-4 months during a calendar year;
- Volunteers will receive a living allowance;
- A grant could be available to volunteers at the end of their placement to help open doors to education, training or business start-up; and
- The creation of a new delivery agency, independent of government, to run the scheme and source private sector investment.
It is not yet certain that the British government will introduce any scheme that is proposed by the Russell Commission. However, there does seem to be considerable support for some form of incentivised volunteering both within the Home Office and the Treasury department.
David Blunkett, the Home Secretary said:
"When young people get actively involved in their neighbourhoods, that brings huge benefits - to the young person, to the local groups they support, and to the wider community."
Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:
"Despite the wonderful efforts of many great organisations, many still don't know how to volunteer, where to go, who to ask for help. Many don't understand that you can give some of your time without giving all of your time. And many - particularly young people - find formal volunteering complicated and confusing. We need to widen access and remove barriers to volunteering and find innovative ways to involve excluded young people in exciting volunteering opportunities."
It is fairly certain that any scheme that is introduced, like Project Scotland, will require full time volunteering. If this is the case it is difficult to see how this will be an option to those people who cannot afford to support themselves without working: i.e. a considerable proportion of society. However, the government says that it wants to remove the barriers that prevent many people from becoming involved in volunteering. It will be interesting to see how the commission will address this issue.
Here in Northern Ireland both the Volunteer Development Agency (VDA) and the Voluntary and Community Unit (VCU) have expressed interest in the scheme. We can only hope that there will be enough interest to ensure that a similar programme will be developed for Northern Ireland.
We will continue to update this site with any developments on this issue as we become aware of them.
Find out more about the Russell Commission on their website: www.russellcommission.org
