VICSES partnership opens doors for junior volunteer-base
A partnership between Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) and La Trobe University will provide new opportunities for junior volunteers to pursue tertiary education, as part of the university’s Aspire Community Impact Early Offer program.
The initiative, which provides secondary school students the opportunity to secure an early conditional offer to the university prior to completing their Year 12 studies, aims to reward young people who actively volunteer or participate in initiatives in their local community.
The agreement sees VICSES join fellow emergency service agencies Country Fire Authority (CFA) and St John Ambulance as partner agencies of the Aspire initiative, reflecting VICSES’ standing as a well-respected emergency service provider and an organisation which empowers young people to contribute to their community.
Other partner agencies of the initiative include Scouts Victoria and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Internation Award.
VICSES is home to 34 junior-accredited units located across the state, with junior members between the ages of 15 and 18 providing valuable support to communities from Colac to Chelsea and from Yarram to Yarrawonga.
VICSES junior members receive the same training as their adult counterparts with a focus on general rescue, storm and flood response, providing a strong pathway for them to progress into becoming a fully-qualified adult member.
They can attend a range of operational activities with supervision from more senior volunteers and train alongside their adult counterparts, developing a host of nationally-recognised skills which can also be used to support future employment or expanded learning.
Junior volunteers can also play a valuable role in supporting their unit’s community engagement efforts, sparking increased awareness of VICSES hazards in their community and further bolstering engagement with younger demographics, ensuring Victorians can appropriately prepare and act in an emergency scenario.
For more information on La Trobe University’s Aspire Community Impact Early Offer program, visit www.latrobe.edu.au/study/aspire/community-impact#note1.
To learn more about joining VICSES as a junior volunteer, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us/volunteer-opportunities/roles-for-juniors.
Quotes attributable to Rob Purcell, VICSES Chief Executive Officer:
“VICSES’ junior program provides a safe space for young people to engage, mature and develop a broad knowledge-base both for emergency response and for life.
“It’s always pleasing to see our junior members excel and this partnership with La Trobe University will allow greater opportunity for our volunteers to pursue and achieve their study goals.”
