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Where have all the young people gone?
Article by Madeleine Baker ‘Selfish’ and ‘lazy’ are often used to described Generation Y. However, according to Volunteering Australia, 30% of volunteers are aged between 25-34 years.
So how lazy are they really and why do these stigmas exist? |
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I am a 21-year-old full time social work student, on placement at Lake Macquarie City Council. Since I started my placement a few months ago, I have been looking at how and why young people are seen to be absent in volunteering activities, and have been thinking about ways to counter this imbalance.
So why do young people seem to be uninterested and uninvolved?
One reason could be different perspectives of who is time poor. Is a young person really as busy as a mother of three with a full time job? I would consider myself busy and time poor, but my priorities differ significantly compared to a working mother. I busy myself with work, sporting, and social activities instead. After leaving school and before settling down to start a family, we young people are still experiencing the many aspects that life has to offer. So in this sense, commitment for a young person to join a group is a big deal. We often prefer a one off project that relates to other aspects of our life, like study, a hobby or just wanting to try new things. Being aware that we might not turn up to every event or meeting, is a good start to gain young volunteers.
Young people are interested and are willing to volunteer; but sometimes they just need a little extra push to get there. Ask young people personally to be involved in particular projects. Young people are four times more likely to say yes to volunteering, if you asked them to join. Provide an incentive - a free lunch is always welcome. Or, align your project with a relevant course or hobby to provide young volunteers with hands on experience.
We like to participate in projects that make us feel like we are making a difference, and can physically see where and what our efforts have gone towards. A project like designing a flyer or advertisement to promote your events could be appealing, and will only involve a small amount of supervision.
Young people are willing to learn and try new experiences – it is all part of our growing up phase! If you give young people the time and effort and pass on your knowledge and passion, you will be surprised at how much they will take in, and actually want to listen and know more. For the most part, young people like the social interaction that being a part of a group can bring. This knowledge sharing and interaction can be an important part of retaining young people in your group.
Trying to get young people to participate can be a bit harder, and may require a bit more effort, but the result will be invaluable!
So why do young people seem to be uninterested and uninvolved?
One reason could be different perspectives of who is time poor. Is a young person really as busy as a mother of three with a full time job? I would consider myself busy and time poor, but my priorities differ significantly compared to a working mother. I busy myself with work, sporting, and social activities instead. After leaving school and before settling down to start a family, we young people are still experiencing the many aspects that life has to offer. So in this sense, commitment for a young person to join a group is a big deal. We often prefer a one off project that relates to other aspects of our life, like study, a hobby or just wanting to try new things. Being aware that we might not turn up to every event or meeting, is a good start to gain young volunteers.
Young people are interested and are willing to volunteer; but sometimes they just need a little extra push to get there. Ask young people personally to be involved in particular projects. Young people are four times more likely to say yes to volunteering, if you asked them to join. Provide an incentive - a free lunch is always welcome. Or, align your project with a relevant course or hobby to provide young volunteers with hands on experience.
We like to participate in projects that make us feel like we are making a difference, and can physically see where and what our efforts have gone towards. A project like designing a flyer or advertisement to promote your events could be appealing, and will only involve a small amount of supervision.
Young people are willing to learn and try new experiences – it is all part of our growing up phase! If you give young people the time and effort and pass on your knowledge and passion, you will be surprised at how much they will take in, and actually want to listen and know more. For the most part, young people like the social interaction that being a part of a group can bring. This knowledge sharing and interaction can be an important part of retaining young people in your group.
Trying to get young people to participate can be a bit harder, and may require a bit more effort, but the result will be invaluable!
