Volunteers Leadership Programme
Youth Initiatives has engaged volunteers right from its inception. Young people joining volunteer leadership teams, to support staff in the design, delivery and evaluation of all our youth work programmes is vital to our youth work model. The voice of young people from local communities who have come up through the programmes want to and get the opportunity to shape the youth work. The aim of the Youth Initiatives Youth Volunteer Leadership Programme is to equip a generation of young leaders with the resilience, vision, leadership skills and character traits to become positive role models amongst their peers, envisioning them to a shared future in Northern Ireland and inspiring the next generation of young leaders coming through.
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Volunteering and Leadership are fundamental to the Youth Initiatives youth work methodology and show the distance travelled by young people who engage in the longterm process of the youth work. Volunteering and leadership express young peoples personal growth and development across both hard and soft outcomes. Volunteering and Leadership are also at the heart of the YI mission statement as we 'mobilise young people to make a vital contribution to their community' and in our purpose statement as we provide opportunities for young people too 'serve' their communities.
Internship Programme
The Youth Initiatives Internship Programme is a part-time or full-time, one-year placement (in some cases this may be a shorter time frame), for graduate or school leavers, aged 18 to 25 (in some cases this may be waived). The internship programme aims to equip and develop young leaders and support their development over the course of the year. The Internship is a great way to explore and develop your skills, talents and abilities, get practical experience in a youth work/ youth ministry setting and a wide variety of leadership and service opportunities. You will work with an experienced staff team and have leadership opportunities in outreach youth work, centre based programmes, schools work, retreats, and residential weekends.
If youth work is not what you are interested in we have other opportunities in office based work, fund raising, communications and marketing, event planning etc.
The programme normally begins the first week of September attending a 3 day training and induction residential (with all YI staff) and runs through to the middle of the following August. (Individual circumstances agreed before the programme begins).
You will have a clearly defined role working alongside Youth Initiatives staff in one of our youth community hubs. You will receive one-2-one monthly supervision with your designated supervisor, support from other youth work staff and an ongoing programme of training spanning youth work, discipleship and personal development with the other interns. You will also be a valued member of the Youth Initiatives staff team, attend staff meetings and have an input into the direction of the projects and programmes you are involved in.
The Youth Initiatives Internship is a voluntary programme. Interns will be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses such as travel in relation to internship or programme expenses.