Institute of Research and Information on Volunteering
Institute of Research and Information on Volunteering
Youth volunteering in Ile de France : an asset for youngsters, a chance for associationsA pilot study was proposed and realised by the Institute for Research and Information on Volunteering (IRIV) in 1998 with the support of the Ministry for Youth and Sports and its Direction for Youth and Associative Life. Ile de France is the first region for the number of youngsters and associations.
A synthesis is integrated in the publication : Volunteering : a chance for youngsters in Europe.
The study is focussed on two main goals : youth volunteering is changing and associations are ready to welcome more young volunteers. A new form of volunteering is developing in France among youngsters : more practical and professional oriented. Youngsters are ready to involve themselves in a voluntary experience for solidarity purposes or as a way to prepare their professional future. Being a volunteer as a scout or in another youth organisation is no more the preponderant trend in youth volunteering. On the other hand, many associations are complaining about the lack of young recruits. They have to precise more clearly their needs to adapt to the youngsters demand. They may be the place of a privileged solidarity between active and inactive people, youngsters and seniors, to share their experiences and knowledge.
Goal
Determining the youngsters expectations and the associations needs would allow to promote , in France, some kind of national program for youth volunteering that doesn't exist yet.
Methodology
Two questionnaires were dispatched among youngsters and associations. The first one was dispatched among youngsters, aged 16 to 35 years, via a specific network for the information of youngsters ("Réseau information jeunesse"). 1268 answers in Ile de France. The second questionnaire was sent to associations via City halls , Préfectures and the Regional Directions for Youth and Sports . 512 answers in Ile de France. The consultation among youngsters and associations was facilitated by the support of the Directions for Youth and Sports. Thanks to this partnership we could obtain very good return for the questionnaires that were dispatched through their networks.
In Ile de France, 44.2% of the youngsters interviewed were volunteers. The average young volunteer is : a boy ; aged between 26 and 35 years ; with at least the baccalaureate and over ; married youngsters are more volunteers than non married ones ; youngsters with a professional activity are more volunteers than those with none. The chance to be a volunteer whether you are young or not grows with the age, the education background and the professional activity. Their voluntary experience has been positive for more than 90% of the youngsters interviewed : first in a personal point of view, second in a professional perspective. The main domains of involvement of youngsters are : Sport and leisure : ½ of the answers ; Education-training-employment : ¼ of the answers ; Humanitarian field : ¼ of the answers ; Culture : 1/5 of the answers. In the national studies, the first fields of involvement are also : sport and leisure (36% of the volunteers), education and research (20%), culture and arts (15%) and social services (13%). More than 3/4 of the associations interviewed are ready to welcome more youngsters among them. Youngsters interviewed during the regional studies were quite enthusiastic on volunteering. Associations were also quite involved on the subject of youth volunteering.
January -March 1998 : Contacts
April-May 1998: Dispatching of the questionnaires
June-September 1998 : Analysis of the questionnaires
October- December 1998 : Final draft
January 1999 : Presentation of the results
Study realised for the Direction de la Jeunesse et de la Vie associative du Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports