Sarah Latto on the contribution of volunteering to learning and development
In July last year, I wrote a blog exploring where volunteering might fit in a shifting education and skills landscape.
Despite little explicit reference of volunteering in any of the reviews exploring different aspects of this sector in Scotland, I spotted a few glimmers of hope. There was a broad emphasis on vocational or community-based learning, which is where volunteering has the potential to really shine.
Specific opportunities were identified in the recommendation from Professor Hayward that each learner should have a ‘personal pathway’, and the acknowledgement in the Withers Review that employers have a key role in supporting lifelong learning and development. I also found hope in the call from the National Discussion on Education that we want Scotland’s people to build their futures with ‘confidence, meaning and kindness’. Clearly volunteering has a key role to play in Scotland’s future education and skills system, right?
Fast forward just over a year and we have been very busy discussing and distilling our ideas on this with our friends in the Volunteering Action Plan Policy Champions Network (PCN). Together we have pored over review documents from recent years and identified key areas where volunteering can best support the development of education and skills in Scotland.
The result of this is a detailed briefing which provides information about the contribution of volunteering to learning and development, and identifies four overarching recommendations for ensuring that the potential impact of volunteering is maximised. These are:
- Invest in volunteer-led services which promote both child and adult learning.
- Embed volunteering promotion in the school curriculum for both primary and secondary pupils.
- Implement a clear mechanism or mechanisms for learners of all ages to record and reflect on wider learning experiences, including volunteering.
- Invest in the development and implementation of a national approach to Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV), as a key learning and development activity for working age adults.
The briefing also identifies 20 sub-recommendations which provide more detailed actions. These include several recommendations related to the Saltire Awards, such as reducing the minimum age to include primary age children.
There is a recommendation for including volunteering in the school curriculum through the Health and Wellbeing curriculum area. One recommendation highlights the need to increase access for all learners to qualifications, awards and course units which promote reflection on the benefits of volunteering. There is also a recommendation to include a commitment to Employer Supported Volunteering in future iterations of the Fair Work Action Plan.
This briefing is a wide-ranging and detailed publication which has taken many months, and many conversations, to finalise. It is also a reflection of the commitment of many organisations and individuals to ensuring that the potential impact of volunteering is better reflected in Scotland’s education and skills system.
The briefing has been published on our website and was sent to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP, the Minister for Highter and Further Education, Graeme Dey MSP, and a number of other relevant policy makers and stakeholders. While the briefing is undoubtedly a great step forward, it represents the start – not the end – of a journey to influence change.
If you would like to get involved in the next stages of this important work, you can join the Policy Champions Network by filling out the form on this webpage.
Sarah Latto is senior policy officer at Volunteer Scotland.
