The International Citizen Service (ICS) program provides volunteers with opportunities for personal and professional development through international volunteer placements. ICS emphasizes personal development and supported learning through training, mentorship, and reflection on cross-cultural experiences. Volunteers gain skills like confidence, independence, teamwork, communication, and understanding of global issues from their placements. Employers value these skills and experiences on CVs, with 87% believing volunteering leads to career progression. Former volunteers report ICS enhanced their project management, stakeholder engagement, and ability to cope with challenges.

1. International Citizen Service
Volunteer development

2. Some quick stats
• Volunteering is associated with a 27% higher chance of employment, and
the effect is especially strong for those without a high school diploma or
who live in rural areas. (Corporation for National & Community Service,
2013)
• Volunteers have a better chance of finding a job after being out of work
than non-volunteers. (United Way, 2014)
• 87% of employers think that volunteering can have a generally positive
effect on career progression for people aged 16-25 (Institute for
Volunteering Service, 2013)
• 20% of employees said volunteering helped their communications skills,
19% said their team working abilities were improved and 10% said their
time management had improved. (TimeBank, 2013)
• When recruiting, 80% of employers value volunteering on a CV.
(TimeBank, 2013)
• Volunteering helps foster employees’ management and leadership skills
while broadening their horizon through the international experience.
(Gatchalian, 2014)

3. Volunteer development
The entire ICS programme is built on 7 quality principles which underpins
all the work we do. One of these is:
Personal Development – “ICS takes personal development seriously – both for
volunteers from the UK and from the countries where we work. We know that on-going
support by ICS staff and team leaders while you are overseas helps you achieve more
on your work placement and gives you the chance to develop. By stretching yourself
and taking on new challenges you can gain confidence and experience.”
This is supported by another ICS quality principle which is:
Supported Learning – “ICS volunteers receive training before they start their work
placement to support cross-cultural understanding and learning and increase
knowledge of international development. On-going guidance and mentoring on
placement helps you to reflect on your experiences and learning and increases the
skills and motivation you can utilize once your work placement finishes.”

4. Impact on the volunteer
ICS volunteers gain new skills on placement, these include:
• A growth in confidence
• Becoming more independent and resilient
• Becoming more self motivated
• Team working and facilitation skills
• Increased communication skills
• Planning and project management skills
• New problem solving abilities
• A better understanding of global issues
• Learning about other cultures and ways of life

5. Some of the skills gained
Leadership - Leading on projects and work groups as well as social and
community events not to mention your Action at Home project.
Opportunities to become a Team Leader.
Project Planning – Planning community activities, organising a small
income generating activity, Action at Home etc.
Communication – Articles for your local paper, blogging, creating
promotional/ information leaflets, speaking on radio, using interpreters,
public speaking, interviews with the press, talking to an MP etc.
Fundraising - Sought after skill in the charity sector. It requires the
ability to persuade, present, market, advertise, manage, socialise,
inspire, communicate etc.
Training & Facilitating - Helping a community group decide what
development project would benefit them ,training someone in English.

6. Certificate
Your achievement is also recognised by David Cameron!

7. What our volunteers say
Liam -Burkino Faso - International Service
“I'm now a Consultant at PwC, one of the world's largest professional services
firms...I've found that my time with International Service ICS developed a wide range
of skills...My first real experience of project management and stakeholder
engagement was while I was in Burkina Faso and these are critical skills for
consultants and anyone working in professional services.!”
Rosanna – Zimbabwe – Progressio
“On returning to the UK, I started my new job at UBS...I feel my ICS experience has
benefitted my work ...I think the main thing I learnt by participating in ICS was how to
cope with being taken out of my comfort zone and how to overcome challenges in
difficult environments. As a result, I’m more confident in different and challenging
situations.
“Some people who want to go into corporate careers might think ICS isn’t for them but I
think ICS is a valuable experience for all young people. Even if you have loads of
work experience in your chosen career, talking about ICS could make you stand out
from the other applicants and will be interesting to talk about in interviews”

8. Some useful tips
• Think about the sort of work you’d ideally like to get into before
going on placement. Look at the experience requirements for these
roles and try to identify areas for personal growth. You can then
apply this to your ICS placement to ensure you get the most from it.
• Chat to people and organisations you’re interested in working with
(LinkedIN is great for this sort of networking). Find out how they’d
view an ICS placement and what they’d expect a volunteer to get
from the experience. Also ask about the core skills they look for
amongst potential employees.
• Carrying out an Action at Home project is an incredible opportunity
for volunteers to use their initiative and newly acquired (and
existing) skills to make a difference in their local community. Make
use of this to really showcase your personal talents; it’ll become
another CV selling point!

9. Tell your friends & stay in touch
www.facebook.com/ics
@ICS_UK
#ICS4Change
International Citizen Service
www.youtube.com/UKICS