Learning to Be Employable Through Volunteering: A Qualitative Study on the Development of Employability Capital of Young People

Abstract

Over the last decades, consistent research showed that voluntary work could be considered as a tool for professional development and concrete employment: volunteering could be either experienced as a desire to improve career opportunities or to acquire new skills. The study aimed to investigate voluntary work as a context of informal and non-formal workplace learning and vocational guidance, useful to develop skills and abilities, namely the capital of personal and social resources, that could promote future employability. Participants were 38 young volunteers who experienced the Universal Civil Service, a national Italian program addressed to young people aged up to 28 years, giving them both the opportunity to engage in social activities useful for the community and have the first contact with a working context. In line with the objectives of the study, participants were invited to describe their volunteering experience in a diary, highlighting if and to what extent this context contributed to enhancing their employability capital, namely the asset of skills, knowledge, and networks acquired, that they could transfer to a future professional domain. The narrative data collected were examined through diatextual analysis, a specific address of discourse analysis designed to catch the relationship between enunciators, text, and context of the talk. This qualitative analysis allowed us to investigate the meanings young people attributed to these activities. In light of these results, the paper contributed to investigate volunteers’ perceptions about the conditions that could best foster this specific kind of workplace informal and non-formal learning and at proposing a qualitative perspective on the analysis of the employability capital they developed.

Perceptions of Peer Coaching Technique by the Alternative Learning System Community Implementers

“…They not only educate learners but also empower them to become active and engaged citizens who can contribute to the development of their communities. Giancaspro and Manuti (2021) state that in the Philippines, ALS is a program that provides an alternative way of education to out-of-school youths and adults who have not completed their basic education. Their dedication, hard work, and commitment are critical in ensuring that the ALS program achieves its goals and improves the lives of those who are frequently left behind in the traditional educational system.…”

Engaging graduate students in nonprofit consulting experiences

“…As a result, I-O professionals who received training that included nonprofit consulting experiences may be better equipped to conduct I-O work that supports beneficial societal outcomes. Nevertheless, course-based nonprofit work can provide a similar experience to volunteer work that enhances I-O graduate trainee professional growth and facilitates tangible employment outcomes like enhancing career prospects or acquiring new skills (Giancaspro & Manuti, 2021). Just as engaging in volunteering provides individuals with a valuable opportunity to enhance their social and transferable skills, participate in informal and nonformal learning, and boost their employability (Kamerāde & Ellis Paine, 2014; Otero et al, 2007), so too can these experiences within graduate training benefit I-O students.…”

Beyond the Classroom: Enhancing Career Clarity and Preparedness Through Volunteer Psychoeducational Group Facilitation for Behavioral Health Undergraduates

“…There is a link between volunteering and career clarity, as volunteering can provide individuals with valuable opportunities to explore their interests, values, and skills in a real-world context (Giancaspro & Manuti, 2021). Volunteering allows individuals to gain new experiences, knowledge, and skills that can help them develop a clearer understanding of their career goals and aspirations.…”

“…Volunteering can significantly impact career pathways and employability capital, which is especially important for those who lack a preexisting professional network or field experience (Giancaspro & Manuti, 2021). Borwein (2014) suggested that community-based volunteer experiences may be seen as important for entry-level positions at a time when less than 25% of employers are willing to consider job applicants with no related experience.…”