Young volunteers
Description
Young volunteers gives you a chance to acquire skills while working on a project that you have designed. You can develop and implement projects in fields that interest you, e.g. agriculture, arts, culture, communications, community services, environment, tourism.
You can get assistance and advice to help you become job-ready. By carrying out your Young volunteers project, you can:
- enhance your knowledge;
- improve your skills, creativity and self-reliance;
- work with professionals, make contacts and friends;
- gain an enriching experience.
During your participation, you need to devote to your project at least 20 hours per week. The project must run between 9 and 52 weeks.
Throughout the duration of the project, you can also:
- work, less than 20 hours per week;
- or study part-time.
Eligibility
To participate, you must:
- be between the ages of 16 and 29;
- have trouble entering the labour market.
A Young volunteers project can be set up by one person or a group of no more than seven young people.
Steps
There are three steps involved in developing a project.
Step 1
First, you must meet with an employment-assistance officer at your regional local employment center (CLE)
to discuss the project you wish to develop. If Young volunteers meets your needs, you will be given all of the relevant information, documents and assistance required to develop your project.
Step 2
You will need to contact an organization in your community that has experience related to your project. It can be a non-profit organization, a private company or a self-employed worker.
Step 3
You will have to present your project to an advisory committee composed of volunteers from your community. The organization associated with your project will accompany you for this presentation. Finally, the advisory committee will recommend that Emploi-Québec accept or refuse your project.
Financial assistance
Emploi-Québec will grant you an employment-assistance allowance and an operating budget for project-related expenses. Training costs, where applicable, may also be reimbursed.
Testimonials
Félix Vigneault, Une aventure de Marius la lame rouge
"Young volunteers helped make my dream come true. Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to create video games."
Ève Catois, De la Terre à l'assiette
“You have nothing to lose and everything to win by participating in Young volunteers. All you need is passion.”
Antoine Marçal, Les forges de la Salamandre
“Young volunteers helps us make our dreams come true while maintaining realistic expectations. We are surrounded by competent people ready to offer support.”
Andréane Dufresne, Massothérapeute
"Young volunteers was the springboard that helped me start my own business. Afterwards, I became a volunteer to help other young people carry out their project."
Raphaël Maltais, Une aventure de Marius la lame rouge
"To succeed with a Young volunteers project, you need to believe in it, define it, get help and go for it.”
Marie-Hélène Raby, La Búsqueda
"Young volunteers helps people achieve their goals. I want to make music on stage. We need to follow our dreams… because dreams are the food of the soul”.
