Voluntary work in the community

Effective career guidance systems provide students with the opportunity to gain first hand experiences of what it is like to be in work. Through voluntary work in the community, schools can give students opportunity to undertake tasks under the supervision of a professional who is not a teacher in a workplace often in fields of strong career interest. This paper summarises conclusions from studies of national longitudinal datasets on how teenage volunteering relates to employment outcomes in adulthood. It also explores why positive benefits can be expected in light of theories of human, social and cultural capital accumulation. It draws on the OECD PISA study to present data on patterns of student volunteering, and finally provides advice for schools and education jurisdictions on how benefits can be optimised for students.