Education Minister congratulates Millennium Volunteers

Education Minister, John O'Dowd, has hailed the contribution made by young people who have become Millennium Volunteers.
~ Wednesday, 5 December 2012

In a special Awards of Excellence ceremony in Belfast City Hall, the Minister presented certificates to those who have completed 200 hours of volunteering in the last 12 months.

Speaking after the ceremony, the Minister said: “I welcome the opportunity to attend this ceremony and present these well-deserved certificates. Volunteering for 200 hours within a 12-month period is quite an achievement and should be commended and celebrated.

“Employers, training providers and universities are keen to hear from young people about their volunteering experience, and for good reason. They look for positive, energetic young people who can work as part of a team, who can use their own initiative and who are willing and able to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. Volunteering, as part of education in its widest sense, helps embed in young people the concept of what the world of work is like and enables young people to gain a wide range of skills and experiences beyond the classroom.”

The Minister continued: “I believe it is vitally important that volunteers are recognised, supported and provided with opportunities to develop. With this in mind, the Department is currently consulting on a new ‘Priorities for Youth’ policy, which will cover the youth services it funds. Priorities for Youth acknowledges the value of volunteering within the youth service and, importantly, will put in place arrangements to provide the support that volunteers need in their roles. It will also seek to encourage the youth service to provide young people with even more positive volunteering and leadership opportunities in the future.

“It is important that we hear from young people and volunteers so that we can reflect their views in the final policy. The consultation closes next week, so I urge you all to submit your views if you have not already done so.”

The Minister concluded: “I want to take this opportunity to thank the organisations that have supported this programme. Volunteer Now and its delivery partners have done an excellent job in ensuring that volunteers been provided with interesting and fulfilling placements and have been supported and encouraged during their voluntary service.”