DD20 would like to volunteer/work abroad, has anyone any advice or ideas for her?

[babythinktwice]

DD hasn't found her path in life yet. She has been working in retail and hospitality since she did her A' levels and finished work recently to pursue an opportunity which has been slow in coming! This means she has the time to try some volunteering or working abroad. She is great with children, sporty and a great swimmer. She loves animals. We have been googling but thought we would ask here too. Any advice or ideas would be welcome.

What passport does she hold?

There are visas for places like Australia, if she's willing to do some manual work. I've not known anyone who went there not find it an absolutely brilliant experience.

Europe will be a lot more challenging because of Brexit. She can spend 90 days in every 180 in Europe, but she technically cannot work, it's a tourist visa. She might also find it very difficult to find work, depending on where she goes.

This article might be useful if considering volunteering because it's important to pick something that actually helps, rather than some schemes where eager young people can actually end up create more work by being asked to do stuff they're not capable of https://www.volunteerforever.com/article_post/how-to-volunteer-abroad-ethically-and-avoid-scams/

Places like holiday camps are always looking for youngsters to help out. My friend's son is currently in Greece with Nielsons. He's a sports coach, but there are always kids clubs looking for helpers, that kind of thing. It's low pay but he's having an absolute ball.

My DS who has a UK and an EU passport volunteered for a year on various projects with the EU Solidarity Corp and had an amazing time . Some activities are open for UK passport holders

Volunteering Activities | European Youth Portal (europa.eu)

Thank you to all for great ideas and links.

She has a UK passport. We are in the process of trying to get her an EU one but have had lots of hold ups so for its UK only.

Good point Echobelly. We will read the link.

@babythinktwice

www.bunac.org

One of the best known companies for young people to work or volunteer overseas.

I was amused when we were living in the USA and my son did a Summer Camp in Massachusetts: the Camp Counsellor (helper) was from my home city in England and had a Summer job there!

My son is travelling in south east Asia. He started with two months teaching English as a foreign language as a volunteer in a school through https://www.go-to.co/ Gotoco pay for return flights, accommodation and food and there’s an induction at the beginning and a free holiday at the end. Then lots of the volunteers go off travelling. My son had a brilliant time and made lots of friends who he met up with on his travels.

Bunac - US summer camps?

Companies like Mark Warner who have AI holidays around Europe with kids clubs, etc and lots of UK staff. Presumably they have a system to deal with visa issues.

Or, from Google: The Working Holiday Visa Programme is based on bilateral agreements between Germany and Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the SAR Hong Kong, Taiwan and Uruguay, as well as a Youth Mobility agreement with Canada.

I know a couple of people who have done it through Camp America and enjoyed it. Not sure how the application works as seems to be quite popular, but worth looking at the website and watching the info videos.

I did soccer camps in America many moons ago. Had some great times and got to travel new places each week. Would defo recommend this or something similar. Does your dd have any coaching qualifications?

I know you're asking for now, but if she intends to go to University, I think many would support her with volunteering. DD's university had connections with a voluntary organisation and supported students to apply for placements abroad, but she applied direct off her own back - she received five offers, the one she took related to her degree and was teaching young children abroad about food sustainability. It was a bit of a pain in that she was applying for jobs while abroad and had interviews with bad connections, but she did secure a job for her return.

I went to the USA and worked as an Aupair for a year in California. One of the best times of my life, I’d highly recommend if she has any experience working with children. You don’t earn much money, but enough to get by. Your flights, insurance, accommodation, car, food etc is all provided.

We’re really grateful for all these replies, thank you all.

Bananasplitz97 she has experience coaching swimming as an assistant but no qualification unfortunately.

madameparis dd has lots of experience with children (coaching swimming and two very much younger siblings) but no qualifications. I guess there are agencies which will organise everything? Off to google.

Sunnyside4z. I don’t think she will go to Uni. I hope something will click at some point and she’ll decide what she’d like to do. It sounds like your daughter had a plan and focus! 😊

We’ll do some research on BUNAC.

Dd is feeling more inspired now and it’s so nice to hear about real life experiences too!

Does Raleigh International still exist? That was quite popular when i was DD's age (admittedly, longer ago than i care to admit!)

Yummy Jobs recruit for UK participants programmes for hospitality and theme park opportunities in the USA. You're probably too late for this year but I thought it was worth mentioning if anyone else is planning ahead.

Another vote here for TEFL in South East Asia (there's work in Eastern Europe and Central Asia too but I don't have personal experience there), as long as she's aware that it's an actual job - the days of getting paid £5000 a month to turn up hungover and be white are thankfully long gone. It will be unsociable hours, a lot of unpaid prep/training and not very much time off, but it's also one of the easiest ways to move overseas without specialist qualifications or a foreign passport, and if she's good at it there are opportunities to turn it into an actual career in the longer term. She will have to check which countries don't need an undergraduate degree for the work permit, though.

Thank you, I’ve just seen the further replies!

Workaway

I recommend short stints in various places. Some 'volunteer' programmes are really badly run, long hours, slave labour, poor conditions - a friend's son got stuck on one last year, so it's important for her to have a get out clause and the money to come home if she needs to, without feeling she has failed. Better to try a few and then extend a stay in a place she loves if it's working out well.

Go for short placements with long-standing, well-established charities or organisations with good recent reviews. It's a brilliant thing to do. Good for her wanting an adventure.