Voluntary Work Placements

Voluntary Work information for Host Organisations

Voluntary Work placements

Voluntary Work placements provide opportunities to gain skills and experience by assisting approved community organisations with work which is of benefit to the community.

What are Voluntary Work placements?

Voluntary Work placements are one of a range of work experience activities offered under Job Services Australia to eligible job seekers.

What will I get out of a Voluntary Work placement?

You will have an opportunity to gain skills which improve your employment prospects. Participating in voluntary work will also enhance your ability to work as part of a team, take directions from a supervisor, work independently, communicate effectively and improve motivation and reliability. You will also have the satisfaction of making positive contributions to your community.

How do I volunteer?

If you are an eligible job seeker registered with a Job Services Australia provider you can volunteer at any time. You can discuss this with your provider.

If you are an eligible job seeker you can also volunteer for other work experience  activities such as Work for the Dole and Green Corps at any time. Check workplace.gov or contact your provider if you’d like to know more.

Can I volunteer?

Yes. All Australians are encouraged to volunteer and contribute to their local communities.

If you are eligible to participate in a Voluntary Work placement under Job Services Australia you can receive the benefits of volunteering, be covered by insurance and supported by your Job Services Australia provider.

How can I get information on the Voluntary Work placements/volunteering opportunities in my area?

Volunteer Organisations use VolunteerSearch or GoVolunteer websites to provide information on their volunteering opportunities. Your Job Services Australia provider can also discuss suitable opportunities with you.

How long will I take part in Voluntary Work placements?

The hours you work will vary dependent on your requirements while on income support.  For example, you may participate in a Voluntary Work placement to fulfil a Work Experience Activity Requirement. In this instance, your provider will discuss your required hours of participation with you when developing your Employment Pathway Plan. Your hours will be dependent on other activities you may be undertaking, your age and your Activity Test or participation requirements.

If you do not have a Work Experience Activity Requirement and are volunteering to participate in Voluntary Work placements, the amount of hours you participate in will be agreed between you, the Job Services Australia provider and the volunteer organisation.

If you are a job seeker aged 55 years or over, you may choose to satisfy your Activity Test by undertaking 30 hours per fortnight of approved Voluntary Work, paid work or a combination of both. When satisfying your participation requirements in this way, you will not be required to look for additional work, report job searches to Centrelink or participate in any other activity. You will still remain connected to your Job Services Australia provider as you may be required to accept interviews for suitable paid work (either full time or an increase in hours) if offered.

Your Job Services Australia provider will discuss this with you.

Need more information?

Call the Centrelink Employment Services Line 132 850 or contact your local Job Services Australia provider.  A list of Job Services Australia providers is available at www.workplace.gov.au. 

Voluntary Work information for Host Organisations

What are Voluntary Work placements?

Voluntary Work placements are one of a range of Work Experience Activities offered by Job Services Australia providers to eligible job seekers in receipt of income support. Voluntary Work placements are a key option for a job seeker to fulfil a Work Experience Activity Requirement.

Other Work Experience Activities such as Work for the Dole and Green Corps, are also offered by Job Services Australia providers and job seekers may participate in one, or a combination of, activities to assist them improve their skills and gain employment.

What is a Work Experience Activity Requirement?

If a job seeker is in receipt of income support and receiving assistance from a Job Services Australia provider, they will typically have a Work Experience Activity Requirement in each 12 month period they remain on income support. This requirement is a specific number of hours that job seekers must undertake in Work Experience Activities in order to develop their skills and employability.

Voluntary Work placements are one of a wide range of options which job seekers can choose from to meet this requirement.

What are the benefits of Voluntary Work placements for job seekers?

Voluntary Work placements provide job seekers with opportunities to gain skills which improve their employment prospects. They should also provide opportunities to enhance the job seeker’s ability to work as part of a team, take directions from a supervisor, work independently, communicate effectively, and improve motivation and reliability. Job seekers will also have the satisfaction of making positive contributions to their community.

How do job seekers get started?

Job seekers may research their own placement or receive assistance from their Job Services Australia provider in finding volunteering opportunities. Job Services Australia providers can assist people to find suitable opportunities through VolunteerSearch or GoVolunteer websites or Volunteer Resource Centres.

What are the benefits of hosting Voluntary Work placements for Volunteer Organisations?

Organisations benefit from the extra assistance provided by motivated and enthusiastic people who have volunteered their services and want to learn. In some cases, job seekers have gone on to paid employment with volunteer organisations.

How can Volunteer Organisations be approved to host a placement?

Organisations approved for hosting Voluntary Work placements must be not-for-profit and hold adequate insurance. Organisations interested in hosting a Voluntary Work placement will need to be approved by Centrelink before a job seeker is placed in the organisation.

What are the insurance requirements?

Volunteer organisations have the same insurance requirements as other organisations hosting job seekers on Work Experience Activities.

While job seekers are covered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations ‘Personal Accident and Public and/or Products Liability Insurance’, organisations hosting job seekers will still be required to ensure that Public and/or Products Liability Insurance is maintained to cover their liability. Volunteer organisations should discuss this requirement with the Job Services Australia provider.

How do Volunteer Organisations and Job Services Australia providers work together?

Volunteer organisations can ensure information regarding their placements is available on the VolunteerSearch website. Organisations can also approach Job Services Australia providers directly to attract participants interested in undertaking a voluntary work placement. A list of Job Services Australia providers is at www.workplace.gov.au.

What happens if a Volunteer Organisation does not want to take part?

Volunteer organisations are not under any obligation to host Voluntary Work placements for job seekers. In these instances organisations are asked to let the job seeker or Job Services Australia provider know upfront when approached so that the Job Services Australia provider can find another placement.

How many hours of Volunteer Work can job seekers participate in?

Some job seekers need to do a minimum number of hours to meet their Work Experience Activity Requirement. This will be agreed with their provider as part of developing their Employment Pathway Plan. Job seekers can discuss this with their Job Services Australia provider when the placement is being confirmed. The Job Services Australia provider may request that they keep in touch with the job seeker to ensure the job seeker is turning up to the placement and meeting their requirement. All job seekers can volunteer for more hours if their volunteer organisation agrees.

If the job seeker does not have a Work Experience Activity Requirement and is volunteering to participate in the placement, the amount of hours they participate will need to be agreed between the job seeker, the Job Services Australia provider and the volunteer organisation.

Job seekers aged 55 years or over may choose to satisfy their Activity Test by undertaking 30 hours per fortnight of approved Voluntary Work, paid work or a combination of both. When satisfying participation requirements in this way, job seekers will not be required to look for additional work, report job searches to Centrelink or participate in any other activity. Job seekers will still remain connected to their Job Services Australia provider as they may be required to accept interviews for suitable paid work (either full time or an increase in hours) if offered.

What sort of Voluntary Work placements cannot be approved?

Voluntary Work placements must not:

• offer a financial gain to the volunteer organisation
• undertake tasks which would normally be done by a paid employee, including a  casual or part time employee
• reduce hours usually worked by a paid employee or reduce customary overtime of an existing worker
• involve working for the job seeker, or a family member, or the job seeker’s own organisation
• primarily promote a particular religious or political view
• involve violence towards people or damage property
• be associated with the sex industry
• bring the job seeker, employment services or the Department into disrepute.

Job Services Australia providers can assist with more information.

Further Information

Call the hotline on 136 268 or contact the relevant Job Services Australia provider. A list of Job Services Australia providers is available at www.workplace.gov.au.