June 26, 2013;Corporation for National & Community Service
The Corporation for National & Community Service has recently released a report, Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment, which shows just how valued volunteering can be in the workforce. The study discovered that volunteering is linked with a 27 percent increase in odds of employment, and provides “social capital and human capital,” which are directly related with better job prospects. Some of the benefits volunteering can provide are professional contacts, expanding networks, leadership opportunities, social relationships, knowledge, and work experience. Volunteering has the strongest impact on rural communities and individuals who lack a high school diploma.
CNCS also provided an infographic for their collected data:
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One interesting finding was that economic conditions and time don’t seem to impact the relationship between volunteering and employment.
The nonprofit sector has been aware of the powerful effect volunteering can have on your skill-set and job opportunities for quite a while, but it’s always encouraging to see statistics reflecting these views.—Aine Creedon
