More information, more encouragement and easy access points would help break down these entry barriers. Experience is high on young people's wish-list for volunteering. They want relevant and interesting experiences which will stand them in good stead in their personal and career development. Volunteering needs to offer opportunities to learn new skills, to take on challenges, to explore different careers, and to get work experience. These instrumental motivations are not new, but are increasing rapidly among young people.
Incentives are important because of the competition for young people's time and attention.
Inducements may be needed to help tip them into involvement, and once there certain rewards would sustain them. Most prominent is the incentive of tangible outcomes in the form of a reference or a qualification, to validate their experience and demonstrate their achievement to employers and others. Variety is an obvious and widely recognised requirement. Variety in types of work, issues and structures would accommodate the huge range of individual interests, goals, constraints and preferences among the younger generation. Variation should be offered in the amount of commitment, the level of responsibility and the type of activity in order to attract the widest possible range of young people.