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Voluntary Service Overseas

Spending a year abroad experiencing a completely different culture and way of life is usually something that young people do on their gap year between school and going to University and is often more of a glorified holiday than a real voluntary project which will bring a lasting difference to the countries they visit. However, there are also opportunities available for recent graduates and for established professionals to experience a year abroad, courtesy of organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas.

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) was founded in the 1950s and was originally intended for male school leavers only. Over the time the ethos of the charity changed and now opportunities are primarily for professionals with at least two years work experience in their chosen field. Professionals such as teachers are particularly in demand and the education recruitment section sends people to countries such as Namibia, Malawi, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea and many other countries, mainly in Asia and Africa. Placements are generally for two years, and there are a wide variety of opportunities open to teachers. Some volunteer work in teacher training colleges to help train the next generation of teachers and others find placements developing teaching methods and techniques in individual schools. Many more mentor teachers from a variety of schools to modernise teaching into a more child centred approach. There are also various opportunities to help develop and improve English language teaching programmes in several countries overseas. VSO provide a full programme of support for their volunteers, including comprehensive training before you leave the UK, insurance, flights, accommodation and a local living allowance when you are overseas. When your volunteering period ends and you return to the UK you will be supported in readjusting to your old life and in entering the education recruitment arena again.

It’s not just teachers who have the opportunity to experience life overseas though, with opportunities available for all sorts of professions including doctors, social workers, accountants or engineers. Professionals with experience with HIV and AIDS are particularly in demand in Sub Saharan Africa. Several short term projects of three to six months are available and if your UK employer allows, it is possible to take a sabbatical from your regular job and experience something completely different. Many UK employers are more than happy to allow employees time away for charitable service, as they recognise that skills and experience gained overseas can be brought home and will enrich an employee’s skill set and experience. Many of the large blue chip employers work directly with organisations like VSO and actively encourage their employees to take time off to go abroad and complete a project for them.