Hello! I’m Euan, a Level 6 Chartered Business Management Degree Apprentice. I also volunteer for many organisations and charities, including Youth Employment UK in my role as a Youth Ambassador.
With most of us leading extremely busy lives, the idea of volunteering – devoting your time and energy to a cause without monetary compensation – may appear to be an impossible task. I mean, how can we possibly fit anything else into our already overflowing schedules? However, volunteering is important for a variety of reasons and does not have to take up a lot of time. In fact, the benefits of volunteering extend far beyond the community, individual, or organisation that receives assistance.
Why is volunteering important?
Volunteering is important because it provides vital assistance to worthy causes, people in need, and the larger community. Indeed, many organisations and charities rely on the generosity of volunteers because they are frequently only partially funded by the government or local councils and cannot afford to pay salaries for all their employees. In fact, many businesses rely almost entirely on volunteer teams to help them thrive and do their work.
My interest in volunteering arose primarily after I began my apprenticeship. When I was in school, I didn’t get much support for my apprenticeship application. Only university was pushed on us students as a viable option for the future. This did not sit well with me. I’ve always been a hard worker, juggling multiple part-time jobs while studying for my A-Levels and other qualifications, so I knew attending university full-time wouldn’t be for me. Combining a degree course with full-time work seemed like the best option, especially since I wouldn’t be incurring debt while earning a salary. To be honest, I’ve never looked back.
That feeling of being unsupported while submitting my application stayed with me, and I never wanted another young person to feel that way again. This led to my first volunteer opportunity. I joined the Amazing Apprenticeships’ Young Apprentice Ambassador Network (YAAN) in November 2020. The YAAN is a national network of current and former apprentices who want to inspire others by sharing their apprenticeship stories. This role has given me the opportunity to speak at over twenty different schools about my experience and apprenticeships in general, articulating the benefits and reasons why they should be considered.
I’ve also taken on different roles to assist other groups of people, such as current apprentices with the Association of Apprentices, where I serve on their Council. Networking with this organisation introduced me to the Edge Foundation, an independent education foundation dedicated to elevating the status of practical and vocational learning in the United Kingdom. I’ve been working closely with Executive Director Olly Newton since my first contact with the foundation. Both the foundation and I support each other, and our collaboration has resulted in numerous opportunities, including speaking at a variety of events. Speaking at the House of Lords was a standout opportunity that could only be obtained through volunteering. I spoke at the Youth Unemployment Committee, focusing on apprenticeships and how they can be a fantastic route for young people experiencing unemployment.
Why volunteer with Youth Employment UK?
This opportunity piqued my interest in addressing youth unemployment and led to my involvement with Youth Employment UK. If you are unfamiliar with the work we do, we are an independent, non-profit social enterprise founded in 2012 to combat youth unemployment. Since joining the social enterprise, I’ve met other like-minded ambassadors who are concerned about the same issues, which has given me the opportunity to learn even more. Already, after only a few months, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a variety of events, and there are many more on the horizon. Not only that, but I have access to a wealth of resources, as well as the opportunity to participate in shaping UK youth employment policy and work on creative and social action projects that interest me.
Volunteering results in so many opportunities, hopefully as you can gauge from above. These engagements have allowed me to build my network and connect me with others, build on my personal skills, improve my mental health, but most importantly, help others. I have been able to help so many people, people who are less fortunate and may not have access to resources that I understand I was and am privileged in being able to access. Due to this reasoning, understanding the luck of my own position, I will never slow down, I will continue to help others for as long as I can, and I’d encourage every other person to do the same.
If you would like to know more about the Youth Employment UK Ambassador Programme you can find out more here.
