Student Volunteering

Did you know if you feature Scouting on your CV it can boost your employability potential? And Scouting can help contribute towards your CBE. 

We invited South East Scouts to explain more. Here’s Kirstie Armsworth, the then Scouting Support Officer, describing what you can do and how this can benefit you. 

Get ahead: Scouts and employability

Did you know you can gain volunteering hours, acquire new employability skills, improve your CV and have loads of fun at the same time with Scouts? Scouts can be one of your most useful student assets for future employment & ensure you are not overlooked.    

We have had many students over the years join our team from anything from occasional helpers lending a hand when they can, programme activity support, social media creators, assistant leaders actively planning and running meetings, trips and camps to District Youth Commissioners! We understand that as students the work and time pressures on you can sometimes be enormous (especially around exam time) that’s why volunteering with a Group or District in South East Scotland Scouts is designed to be extremely flexible and allow you to easily balance University and Volunteering.  Scouts experience can be one of your most useful student assets for future employment & ensure you are not overlooked.   

You can gain skills – we’re talking about teamwork, leadership, decision-making and resilience and more – skills that have helped Scouts become everything from teachers and social workers to astronauts and Olympians. Scouting looks good to prospective employers!  

Two quick things:  

1. No previous Scouting experience, no problem!  
2. We have flexible local opportunities to fit around your studies. 

Scouts also take part in an exciting programme of activities from kayaking to computer coding too and you could join in these too! As a result of your experiences with Scouts, you can pack your CV and application forms full of your Scouts experiences and skills to stand out. It adds to your personal secret sauce!!  

How?  

  • Our training has implications beyond a role. When applying for a job it’s advisable to highlight the formal scout training taken part in, as well as what has been learnt informally through experience. 
  • And as part of your Community Based Education (CBE) work we can provide direct access to young people to enhance your work experience skills. This would involve connecting you with a specific Scout Group and discussing your specific CBE to match the requirements. 
  • On offer is also credit bearing activities such as project-based work which can be bespoke to you to further hone your employability skills.  
  • We can also work with you to complete your Top Awards such as Duke of Edinburgh. 
  • We can also link you up with SSAGO – the Student Scout and Guide Association – a non-uniformed organisation if you wish to continue (or begin) your Scouting adventure while at university.  
  • And more! 

Why?  

More than two thirds of our volunteers say their CVs have been enhanced by joining Scouts and 59% feel more confident. Employers love to see the commitment of volunteers, and through Scouts you can get vital experience in areas like management, administration and activities. 

Employers are often looking for skills that as an adult in scouting you will already have. These skills are ideal to highlight in any job application simply because any potential employer does not know about scouting. Many of the skills acquired can be described in non-scouting terms, as can the roles carried out as a volunteer. 

There is a diverse range of skills and experiences that can help supplement your CV and highlight you as an ideal candidate for a job. Some of these are suggested below, but there are more including specialised skills which may be appropriate to you. 

 Skills which can make you more employable include: 

  • Practical skills – able to plan including safety of yourself and others 
  • Working as a team – sections, groups, District as well as supporting others via teamwork 
  • Management skills – leadership skills, commitment and reviewing performance 
  • Communication – representation, reports, newsletters and being effective in meetings 
  • Finance – budgeting, keeping accounts, securing funds from third parties 
  • Training – formal training as well as informal or formal training of others 
  • Values – following the Scouts set of values showing integrity 
  • Community spirit – taken action to make the world a better place 

Don’t underestimate just how much you could, and will, learn from Scouts and how you can use your skills to stand out from the crowd. Volunteering’s not just about giving back – it goes both ways. You can gain new skills while helping others and improve your prospects whichever direction you take. 

So if you’re a student then volunteer with Scouts to BOOST your personal and character skills as well as your vital CV score. It’s a win, win situation. Watch this 1.47mins video about see Nat’s real life journey – Skills For Life. 


Want to talk to someone directly about volunteering to help?

You can contact South East Scotland Scouts at communications@sesscouts.org.uk

Whether you want to work with young people directly or help behind the scenes, there’s something for everyone at Scouts.

She would be very happy to chat with you about what opportunities are available across the whole Region, how much time would be involved and how the leader training could assist you.


More about South East Scotland Scouts: 

The South East Scotland Scouts Region is made up of seven Districts including the local authority council areas of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and Scottish Borders. We support all 92 Scout Groups across all ages and Centres (Bonaly Scout Centre and Longcraig). 

General opportunities in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Borders and Midlothian. And regionally working remotely.  Flexible opportunities exist to fit around your studies. 


What type of role could I do as a general helper? 

We have a wide range of volunteer roles – from Marketing and Communications, Website development, Data and Analytic Insights, Bonaly Scout Centre Marketing, L&D/Training, Assistant Section Leaders, Youth Involvement, occasional helpers and more – we have a role for everyone.  We also offer flexible volunteering roles too, so we can fit around you and the time that you want to give to Scouting. 

Do I have the right skills? 

You don’t need to have previous experience in Scouting, just energy and enthusiasm.  We can match your existing skills with the right role and help you to develop new skills. 

Do I receive any training?

All of our adult volunteers receive full induction and ongoing training and support.  Our training has been recognised with a National Training Award by UK Skills and over 90% of our volunteers believe that the skills and experiences they have gained through Scouting have been of relevance to their working or personal lives. 

As long as you’re over 18, you can help out as an adult volunteer in Scouting. There is no upper age limit for adult volunteers.