Community Activities

There are a plethora of experiences waiting in the local community that do not require previous qualifications and offer a wealth of training, transferable skills, and networking opportunities. We find that students who engage in their communities as volunteers early on in their education are far ahead of their peers with respect to skills in problem solving, collaboration, time management, communication and leadership. These are all attributes that are vital in the workplace and can only be learned through first hand experience. Having volunteer experience on your resume boosts your chances of finding a job. Volunteer experience can often qualify as related experience because of the transferable skills it teaches. This is especially helpful for students, because they often lack direct experience related to the jobs they will be applying for. Many volunteer programs provide training, so volunteers gain an educational benefit to add to their resume as well. The students learn interpersonal skills more effectively while volunteering than they would at a work-related training event. Career driven students should take note of this and start early! Being willing to experiment with a variety of service opportunities can also lead students into a clearer path for their future. Our first questions to new students are about their field of study, their interests, and what skills they need to build. From there they can be placed in a variety of positions that let them gain perspective into the career field they are considering. Bachelor/Associate Degree students are required to complete 40 hours of community service per semester in the first four semesters and 20 hours the last four semesters.