Do we need a Third Way?
How Red Cross has faced the challenge of increasing demand for work experience placements.
Red Cross has involved volunteers for many, many years. More recently it has made a concerted effort to welcome people who seek work experience, offering a number of schemes both voluntary and paid. These schemes include work placements, Future Jobs Fund, Intermediate Labour Market schemes, apprentice schemes, internships, and work experience requests. ‘Third Way’ is a working title given to all of these, as they do not fit with standard staff or volunteer approaches.
Janet Williams, Volunteering Adviser – Wales explains ‘We want to support young people as they grow into adulthood, and to help older people who need more confidence and experience. We are aware that there are people out there in the community who need our help and including possibly friends, neighbours, relatives of our existing staff and volunteers. We actively seek engagement with the hardest to help.
All roles are designed with the individual in mind and are additional to existing staff and volunteer roles. They are all short term.’
‘It is not easy to see people who have completed their placement leave us, but Red Cross is confident that a even a relatively short placement is of benefit to the individuals concerned and those we have worked with have confirmed this to us. The placement individual is of course the primary beneficiary but the organisation can benefit too. It is a mutually beneficial business relationship between ourselves, the participants and sometimes a third party such as WCVA. With regard to our recent ILM project in North Wales, over 50% of participants have gone on to become volunteers or employees. 84% have gone forward into some kind of positive outcome’ said Janet.
Paul Bona – North Wales ILM Project Manager adds that as well as the obvious gains that are highlighted above, there is evidence that every participant involved ILM process has developed in ‘soft skill’ areas as well (e.g. confidence, motivation, self esteem, cash handling).
One of the main lessons learned is the need to think ahead and prepare the ground thoroughly. Workshops were held with staff throughout Wales so that all understood what was being taken on, and ‘signed up’ to support the programmes. Having given due consideration to some of the barriers to starting employment that are faced by people on various benefits which are received on a weekly basis it was agreed that in conjunction with our HR Department we needed to consider making special arrangements for those on paid placements who could not afford to wait one month before receiving any income.
‘You need to be doing this for the right reasons’ said Janet. ‘We see this as another service that Red Cross can offer the community’
If you would like to know more, please contact Jeff Collins – Red Cross Director, Wales, on 02920 815680.