CEV General Assemblies > 2007 - March (Paris, France) - Volunteering as a route (back) to employment

Volunteering as a route (back) to employment
22 - 24 March, Paris, France

The General Assembly in Paris was special in that it was a joined event with an IAVE regional conference, bringing together representatives of the International Association for Volunteer Effort of which CEV is a member organisation widening the scope and perspective of our debates.

 This General Assembly focused on the question whether volunteering is or should be a route (back) to employment. 101 delegate could attend 6 workshops and one expert panel discussion giving an overview of good practice examples where volunteering proved to be an instrument to promote employability – and discuss the sometimes difficult boundaries between volunteering, the labour market and attempts from the state to “misuse” volunteering as an obligation for the unemployed. The following items have been specifically highlighted:

•   Volunteering as means to enter / re-enter the labour market
•   Volunteer to raise skills and social capital
•   Collaboration with other stakeholders such as employment agencies / public or private social services / schools / universities
•   Volunteering and unemployment benefit
•     Volunteering as obligation for long-term unemploymed?

Conference programme