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Opportunities in Nepal and India with Generation June 3, 2013

Posted by Jeff Riley in : international development, work abroad , add a comment

I recently met with Amy Pettipher from Generation, a new venture founded by Vanilla in partnership with MondoChallenge Foundation.  Careers staff and students may know Vanilla because one of their other ventures, Charityworks, provides a graduate training programme for the non-profit sector.

I asked Amy if ‘Generation’ was the international version of Charityworks? “No”, she told me. “But we have drawn on our experience of working with young people who are passionate about social change to develop the programme.”

Generation offers 3 month placements for volunteers to work in schools in India and Nepal, and what makes it distinct from other volunteer programmes is our excellent pre-placement training, in-country support and post-placement career coaching.

This is the pilot year for the programme, and Amy and the team are looking for a small group of individuals to take part in Generation’s first year and help shape the programme for future volunteers. This exciting pilot provides an opportunity for volunteers to apply their skills and knowledge, working with schools and communities to achieve locally owned goals that will benefit generations to come.

The programme’s focus initially is going to be on a cluster of schools in the Northeast Indian Himalayas. Although this is the first time Generation has worked with the schools in India, all the schools have a long history of working with volunteers, and Amy herself volunteered at one of the schools in 2010.

Generation volunteers will teach English classes, but there is lots of scope to contribute to other subjects as all the schools are English speaking. “In addition,” Amy told me, “volunteers will have the opportunity to work on community development projects – this could be anything from working with school staff to develop systems for evaluating individual students’ progress throughout the year, to facilitating the planning and setting up of a food cooperative that will generate revenue for the schools and communities (one or two of the schools have some agricultural land and are keen to run similar projects). Projects and activities will depend on the ambitions and needs of the schools, and we want to emphasise that the volunteer’s role is to facilitate and stimulate ideas in collaboration with the schools, rather than to develop or change existing practices for the sake of it.”

I asked Amy to address the concern about relatively unqualified people from the UK going to work in developing world classrooms. “We do stress that our cohort members – and we expect to send up to 10 in the pilot group – are not teachers, they are volunteers supporting the work of the teaching staff and providing the students with a fresh perspective on their studies.  All volunteers will be at least graduate level and as such will have very definite things to offer beyond just energy and enthusiasm.  There is a real shortage of staff in some of the schools and the schools who host volunteers do so because they see the difference volunteers can make – not just while they are there but on a continuing basis by making sure the projects they initiate can be continued by staff and students.“

I asked Amy about other key features of the programme. “Generation is founded on the expertise of Vanilla and our partner charity, MondoChallenge Foundation: we are working in partnership with the Foundation, who understand and are connected to communities in Northeast India and Nepal. Our combined expertise of international development and the UK charity sector mean we are perfectly positioned to help volunteers take part in a successful and enriching cultural exchange, as well as plan careers in the charity sector. Part of the fee entitles volunteers to benefit from Vanilla’s career coaching expertise which includes a comprehensive debrief of the volunteer placement and a CV assessment.  It’s one of the ways we think we can provide great results not just for the local communities but for our volunteers as well, and we’re really keen to hear from anyone who may be considering volunteering this year.“

Volunteers pay £1,100 for a 3 month placement – this includes accommodation, a two day pre-placement training course, in-country support and post placement careers coaching, as well as a donation to the MondoChallenge Foundation.  The first cohort is due to leave in September 2013 though there is some flexibility around dates.

Find out more by visiting : http://www.vanillaventures.co.uk/generation/

Or get in touch with Amy directly at: amy@vanillaventures.co.uk, or on Twitter: @amypettipher

Generation is also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenerationInternationalVolunteering

The Collective Sierra Leone February 28, 2013

Posted by Jeff Riley in : NGO, international development, work abroad, working abroad , add a comment
The Collective Sierra Leone

The Collective Sierra Leone

The Collective Sierra Leone is a capacity building organisation that provides a range of opportunities for those who want to build experience in Sierra Leone.  These include a range of three month volunteering opportunities run all year round with partner organisations in the country, including research, microfinance and advocacy; a five day leadership programme and a leadership development internship that has been designed for those who will be applying to, or been accepted onto, the UK’s TeachFirst Programe.  We spoke to the founder Charlie Habershon about the programmes and about volunteering in the developing world in general.

Charlie – why Sierra Leone? I first visited Sierra Leone in 2006 and returned in 2009 with my girlfriend to help set up the ethical fashion label NearFar, a social enterprise she still runs. On both visits I was struck by the country’s huge potential. With outstanding natural beauty and a rich source of natural minerals the country has the foundations for a bright future. However, poverty and unemployment still remain major challenges. Sierra Leone still ranks 180 of 187 on the UNDP development index with 77% of Sierra Leone’s living in poverty and 62.79% living on less than $1.25 a day (UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index 2011).

Misconception is one of the largest barriers for it’s development. But travel to Sierra Leone and you will see a country that is peaceful and very much open for business. I became determined to spread this message to as many people as possible.

After graduating from Nottingham University, I was accepted on to the Teach First programme. For two years I taught History and Economics in inner-city London in what was both a challenging and extremely rewarding experience. During the programme, I worked with graduates and professionals with a desire to create positive change in eradicating educational disadvantage. With extensive support we were able to use our enthusiasm and skills to have a genuine impact in the classroom. I began to think about how I could do the same for individuals and organisations in Sierra Leone, to help reduce the skills gap left by 10 years of war

It was with this thought that I decided to set up The Collective–Sierra Leone, a capacity building organisation with the mission to provide individuals and organisations with the tools to create positive change. To do this, we place and support innovative graduates and professionals from around the world in challenging projects. You can read more about my thoughts on Sierra Leone in the Huffington Post.

As you are aware there are now lots of organisations facilitating developing country experience. What is your take on the debate around ‘Voluntourism’. This is a term that I always try to avoid. ‘Voluntourism’ can have a very negative effect on local communities and projects. It can distort markets, create misconceptions and lead to a feeling of reliance on outside help. When the Collective was set up, we were fed up with companies charging huge fees and merely acting as brokers. Instead, we work to provide a mutually beneficial experience that ensures that both organisations and volunteers are able to develop. We will never place a volunteer in a role if we think it is denying nationals job opportunities. All our roles have clear job descriptions so we are matching volunteer skills with the needs of our partner organisations to ensure that the greatest impact is made in country. I do, however, believe that tourism and volunteering can work together as long as the latter takes precedence. One of our aims is to create positive stories about Sierra Leone and to bring more people into the country. We always encourage our volunteers to travel and see the country’s sites. Every new visitor to the country helps break the misconceptions surrounding the country and means more people will hear positive stories about it. This could lead to increased tourism into the country and perhaps future investment.

If the programmes are for people looking to get experience how do you respond when people accuse volunteering organisations of sending inexperienced people to take on roles that they aren’t qualified to do? In our opinion, Sierra Leone’s biggest challenge is its human and organisational capacity. All our partner organisation, who work in micro-finance, enterprise and education, are doing amazing work in-country, but need high levels of expertise to improve the efficiency of what they do. A huge number of talented individuals with the potential to drive the country forward missed out on an education because of the war. We are working to bridge that gap. With our thorough support and coaching, interns work closely with our partners to implement sustainable systems that will continue to operate well after their departure while providing leadership development training along the way. This might mean supporting an organisation to set up simple monitoring systems or working with staff to develop work plans. For our 3 and 6 month programmes we only take on graduates and professionals who pass our stringent application process. We recruit graduates and professionals who have experience in the working world and understand how organisations run. We then help them transfer those skills into a new environment. I don’t believe you need a masters or a PHD to have a positive impact in Sierra Leone. In fact, I think bringing individuals from different sectors and backgrounds helps to give a new perspective on the issues we see here. The key is that they have the support and mentoring to transfer those skills. Of the 16 volunteers that we had last year, four went on to work for Teach First and six are now working in the charity/international development sector.

Do your partner organisations get a cut of the fees the volunteers pay or is their benefit in form of the work they contribute? We do not give any money to our partner organisations. Our mission is to build the capacity of organisations and individuals so that they can better access the funding that is available. Organisations should take on a volunteer because they need their skills not because they are an additional revenue stream. If that was the case we would find organisations taking on volunteers for the wrong reasons and their real value, in the skills they bring, would be lost. This is why, for the few placements that do require one, we are able to charge a very low fee to cover the costs of accommodation, transport, training and mentoring. We are a not-for-profit social enterprise, so unlike many ‘voluntourism’ companies, we are not driven by the desire to generate profit for shareholders, but instead by our desire to make a positive change here in Sierra Leone.

What skills or formal qualifications are needed for people to work with the Salone microfinance partnership or the organisation that has introduced football leagues for example.  Some of the roles that are advertised – ‘Development Officer’ and ‘Researcher’ sound quite demanding. Yes, they are challenging. I get a lot of applications from people who have volunteered before and were disappointed with the experience as they felt they were not utilised and challenged. We require graduates who show drive and potential (often candidates who have been accepted on to the Teach First Programme) and professionals who have experience in the work place that we believe can be transferred. The work can be tough, but that is why we have a team in-country to mentor volunteers through the process.

The summer internship opportunity is designed to provide an experience for those who are either deferring a Teach First offer or to help those who want to apply to Teach First.  Do you have any formal links to Teach First? As I mentioned in response to the first question, I am a Teach First Ambassador and was influenced heavily by my time on the programme. Teach First have been very supportive of the project, providing office space and interns in the summers I am back in the UK. I have worked closely with their Graduate Recruitment team and we both felt that our ‘Developing Future Leaders’ one-month internship would help students gain the skills that are required to be an effective leader in the classroom while supporting our mission in Sierra Leone. On the internship we will support the volunteers to ensure they are building the necessary competencies required for the programme.

Read my other blog posts about working abroad

Getting International Experience February 21, 2013

Posted by Jeff Riley in : Careers Resources, Uncategorized, international development, internships, politics, work abroad, working abroad , add a comment

I did a talk recently for MA Politics and International Relations students at Queen Mary College, University of London about the value of international experience. I thought it would be helpful to summarise some of the issues I flagged up.

For many careers in the sector having international experience is incredibly valuable. You will learn things about a country or region by being there for a period that will provide a crucial supplement to your academic experience and that you wouldn’t necessarily get from reading academic texts. It will help you build networks, improve your language skills and provide some great evidence of transferable skills such as resourcefulness, independence and initiative.

• STUDYING. Lots of colleges can arrange for students to spend time abroad through the European Union’s ‘Erasmus Programme.’ These are exchange programmes organised with partner institutions abroad. At Queen Mary, for example, students from the School of Politics and International Relations can take a semester in France – though you will need reasonable French to take part. Other colleges and departments will have other placements available. As well as Erasmus there may be other ad hoc arrangements in place to facilitate international experience during an academic course. History students at Queen Mary, for example, have in the past spent time in colleges in the USA. There are also some courses that have international experience built-in. Some of these fall within an extension of the Erasmus model called ‘Erasmus Mundus’ programme. As with many EU funded programmes it could take a lifetime tracking them down and hurdling the various application processes. Here is one interesting example from the UK – a human rights Masters at Roehampton Another bold option is take the entire course overseas. I wrote a while ago about how one student had used an overseas Masters as a way of combining getting an academic qualification with country experience and field experience. While this example is from Uganda the increase in fees in the UK many students are now considering taking their masters elsewhere in Europe. In countries such as the Netherlands as well as other places courses may well be taught in English. Finally, for the past few years countries who have traditionally sent a lot of students to study in the UK are now encouraging traffic in the other direction. The Study India and Study China programmes run every year and provide a great chance to have short study visits to these countries to find out more about higher education there as part of a cultural programme.

• VOLUNTEERING. There are lots of organisations who will, for a fee, arrange some international work experience. Most typically this would be in developing countries with NGOs but there are also organisations who will facilitate commercial experience. Proceed with caution as some of the arrangement fees can be expensive. Also make sure the experience is going to provide the right level of challenge for you. If you already have some experience, for example with the programme offered by International Citizen Service (a consortium comprising six organisations providing volunteering experience for 18-25 year olds. The consortium includes VSO, Tear Fund, Progression, Restless Development, International Service and Raleigh International) you might be ready for a more customised placement which can be arranged with organisations like 2Way Development or Links For Change. Again proceed with caution because, while all the organisations I mention have a good track record, the sector as a whole can give rise to debate about the ethics of sending relatively inexperienced northern hemisphere volunteers to intervene in developing countries. Read more about the issues through a recent film called Mind The Gap

• EDUCATION – The demand for teachers of English remains high and an investment in a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language can easily repay itself. Working as a TEFL teacher can help you get some practical experience of living and working internationally. The TEFL certificates offered by Cambridge or Trinity House through a wide network of schools in the UK and overseas are, however, only one way of gaining TEFL experience. Many organisations offer opportunities to get involved in classrooms without formal teaching qualifications. AIESEC, for example include education as one of its options
An organisation like VESL or Tenteleni
sees its volunteers contributing to education in ways that support local, qualified teachers. A recent interview with VESL summed up how students fit in to the education picture – “The schools we work with really appreciate having volunteers from the UK to increase students confidence, help with pronunciation and give the students an opportunity to learn about UK culture. Our volunteers also help in other ways by running extracurricular classes such as sports events or helping out at local NGOs running additional English classes.” . A very prestigious programme for teaching English is offered through the JET Programme which funds thousands of young people to work as Assistant Language Teachers in Japanese schools. The British Council also work in 14 countries and provide excellent opportunities to work as language assistants.

• INTERNSHIPS – These can’t really be distinguished from volunteering. However, for our purposes in this blog we are defining internships as opportunities that provide a more individual experience with a more defined job description. Unlike volunteering opportunities there is rarely any funding available or even a support programme to help you fundraise. In this group we would place organisations such as think tanks, multilateral organisations such as the EU and the UN but also some commercial organisations. Good examples of international think tank internships include the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies and the International Crisis Group. United Nations internships happen all over the world but popular locations are Geneva, New York. Other branches of the UN such as UNICEF and UNHCR and the World Bank also offer internships. UNICEF India have an excellent internship every year http://www.unicef.org/india/media_8064.htm The European Union offer good quality (and paid!) internships, sometimes known as a stagiare. Some useful resources in previous articles in this blog here –
If you are looking for European opportunities – especially in Brussels then you must sign up for the Junior newsletter produced by Euro-Brussels.com There are also commercial organisations such as CRCC Asia which provide good quality business internships but they are very expensive (over £2.5k for a month internship and a month of intensive Mandarin). It is also possible to organise an international placement with businesses such as Proctor and Gamble who offer summer internships for UK students all over Western Europe. Of course you will have to be interested in a business career. Read about one student’s experience here

• Further Resources – If you have been clicking on the links you will have started using these but to summarise

* Careers Tagged – Use search terms such as ‘volunteering abroad’; ‘working abroad’ and ‘international development’

* Careers Blogs – This blog, of course. Also the one written by Gemma Ludgate at King’s College London has good stuff in general and some posts specifically covering international careers. Such as this recent one. Finally do take a look at The Year Abroad blog written by colleagues at UCL. Well worth scrolling through for useful links

* Facebook – Getting into International Development. Sign up for regular news about the sector

* International Futures – This site provides resources for students looking for international experience as well as for international students studying in the UK

International experiences for summer 2013 January 6, 2013

Posted by Jeff Riley in : Uncategorized, international development, work abroad, working abroad , 4comments

Whether you are interested in a career in international development or international relations regional experience is important. One way of building up regional experience is through qualifying as a TEFL teacher but you might also consider volunteering through an organisation such as the charity VESL

We spoke to VESL recently about two different programmes they offer that will provide experience of Sri Lanka, Thailand or India – all excellent countries for those considering work in international development, conflict resolution or other careers related to international relations. Those without teaching experience might consider the programme for English Teachers or English Language Teaching Assistants. While those who have some experience and perhaps have spent time in the developing world might consider the Student Leader programme. As a Student Leader you will be spending more time managing and supporting a small team of volunteers than teaching.

Some key facts
* English Teachers / English Language Teaching Assistants
Programmes last from 4 – 6 weeks to 12 months. Volunteers will need to pay for their own air fare and visa, and make a contribution of £990 (to see what this includes click here). This covers the first six weeks, after which you will need to donate £80 for each additional week. The contribution covers insurance, accommodation and food each week.
* Student Leader Programme – These are funded opportunities, though you will need to enrol your own team of 6-8 volunteers. VESL will provide support to help you do this

Accommodation is typically with local families or teachers. This helps provide a more immersive experience of the host culture. Volunteers can meet up with other volunteers at weekends and some schools have two volunteers – so you won’t be on your own and have people you can arrange to do things with as part of the experience. Volunteers often choose to spend time with their host family at weekends too.

We spoke to VESL about the programme and raised the question about unqualified and inexperienced people being in the classrooms of the developing world. Lauren Plüss, VESL’s programme manager told me, “Our volunteers focus on spoken English, working to improve students’ confidence levels and hopefully inspire them to continue learning English in the future, we hope that all VESL volunteers will be able to make a small but measureable difference. The schools we work with really appreciate having volunteers from the UK to increase students confidence, help with pronunciation and give the students an opportunity to learn about UK culture. Our volunteers also help in other ways by running extracurricular classes such as sports events or helping out at local NGOs running additional English classes. We interview all our volunteers, who have to apply by downloading an application form, we judge each application individually and take into account a person’s enthusiasm, adaptability and creativity, which are characteristics that we feel, make a great volunteer. We have teamed up with a TEFL organisation to provide TEFL training with a 23% discount to our volunteers if they want to take the course before they leave. We also provide some training and a training pack before the volunteers go which will help them operate in the classroom and help them design classes and exercises.“

You can meet VESL at regular recruitment days they hold – there is one coming up in central London on January 19th 2013 and VESL are also attending the UCL volunteering fair on January 17th, 2013

Whenever we write about schemes that send volunteers to the developing world it usually provokes some discussions about the relationships involved. Last year we flagged up a film called ‘Mind The Gap’ that tackles these issues and raises some questions potential volunteers might ask when considering programmes

There are many programmes that will help you get some international experience. We have written previously about organisations such as Tentelini
and Kanaama Interactive
as well as 2Way Development
and Links For Change
These and others such as Restless Development and VSO all offer a range of opportunities internationally depending on your experience.

AIESEC – the best kept secret December 13, 2012

Posted by Jeff Riley in : Uncategorized, international development, internships, sustainability, work abroad, working abroad , 4comments

AIESEC GLOBAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

One of our enterprising go get ‘em first year students at UCL has got involved with AIESEC. For an organisation that has been around so long, has such a global profile and offers such a good deal to participating students I’m a little embarrassed I knew so little about it. I’m putting it down to its awkward acronym. Here is what I found out

• They have two separate programmes. The one that this post is about is a ‘Global Community Development’ Programme which provides an opportunity to teach or volunteer in one of five different countries – Egypt, Brazil, Columbia, India or China. The other programme (The Global Internship Programme) isn’t being advertised yet and offers a longer placement – between a year and 18 months

• It costs £350 and includes food and accommodation – usually with other interns but could be with a host family. The China programme includes a local salary. The fee covers a minimum of six weeks but can be longer. Oh, and you need to find your own air fare

• The Programme is focused on issues such as sustainability, Education (covering language and culture) and teaching

• AIESEC is the world’s largest youth led, leadership development organisation. Operating in over 100 countries AIESEC aims to activate youth leadership by empowering students and graduates to run an international exchange program

• Even if you have graduated you can still apply – as long as you are under 30 years of age and apply within two years of leaving college.

• It is a competitive programme – AIESEC will be looking for applicants who will complete the programme – and do well on it – and demonstrate key skills such as flexibility and adaptability. Even though there are quite a few places in each country you will have to meet the relevant standards to get accepted.

• The deadline is January 31st 2013. More details at http://aiesec.co.uk/students/go-global Any British university student can apply. Check whether your university has an Aiesec society and get involved. Students from University of London institutions can join the UCL-SOAS chapter at http://aiesec.co.uk/local/london-ucl-soas

Mobile phones, international relations and a summer internship April 25, 2012

Posted by Jeff Riley in : The Careers Group Blogs, international development, internships, politics, work abroad , add a comment

This blog is one of several produced by myself and colleagues who work for The Careers Group, University of London or one of the constituent colleges.  A full list of them can be found  here http://www.gradsintocareers.co.uk/advice-and-resources/blogs.aspx The Web and social media really helps us exchange information about the issues facing our readers.  On the other hand it’s still really handy to be sharing an office so people don’t forget to pass on useful stuff. This explains why I’ve just posted up a terrific summer associate position in London or Bangkok – thanks to James Weaver at Queen Mary who passed it on to me.  You can download the information from our Careerstagged.co.uk site  http://www.careerstagged.co.uk//files/pdf/GSMA%20_GSMA%20MMU%20Summer%20Associate%20(policy%20and%20regulation)-1.pdf but here’s an outline of what’s on offer

GSMA the trade body for the mobile telecommunications industry has a summer associate position. Closing date May 10 2012. What is it doing featuring in a blog about development and international relations? Well mobile phones are hugely important in the developing world and the role amongst other things may involve writing country profiles.   ” The candidate will work on such things as 1) research specific issues related to mobile money regulation; 2) To prepare country profile for the online mobile money regulatory database; 3)write mini case studies on a deployment and the relevant regulatory context…”  So scoot on over to careerstagged for the download on how to apply (see above)  and we’d love to hear how you get on.

Careers and internships in European Institutions May 10, 2011

Posted by Jeff Riley in : European Union Careers, Government, Graduate recruitment, internships, politics, work abroad , add a comment

Careers Colleagues of mine from SOAS and Queen Mary’s College went on a recent ‘EU’ Careers day organised by the European Personnel Selection Office.  University careers advisers are being targeted in this way to help increase the number of British graduates consider careers in the European institutions.  Here are a few key points from the day covering:  work experience with MEPS; working in the European Parliament; The role of the ECs UK representation office; internships in the European Institutions and the launching of the new European Banking Authority based in London.

 

Work for the European Parliament as an ‘Administrator’ (this is the catch all phrase for people working for the EP who are not MEPs), you need  Mother Tongue in English, French or German and a second EU language

For 1st promotion in 2/3 years, also need a 3rd working language. This poses challenges for UK recruits and UK nationals are vastly underrepresented in EU. 

Many British personnel are retiring and more British nationals are needed to replace them.

Since the enlargement process, English is succeeding French as the Lingua Franca, and there is a demand for native speakers who can write high standards of English (this point was reiterated throughout the day for both European Parliament and the European Commission).

They welcome applications from immediate graduates, but having some post-study work experience is much preferred.  A typical profile of an applicant to the graduate route would be a good degree, possibly a Masters in European Studies, 2 to 3 years working in civil service/law firm/management consultant or other.

As a Desk Officer (typical entry level role for a graduate) may spend time working with the nominated MEP responsible for reviewing legislation (called a Rapporteur) by sitting on Committee and liaising with the MEP on drafts, or content.  Typically a British Desk Officer would be nominated if the Rapporteur is a British MEP.

*European Commission: Representation in the United Kingdom (and some tips for applying to the EU institutions)

 The EC Representation in the UK is a little like an Embassy representing the EC in the UK.  It’s about explaining the EU to UK audiences such as the Press, Trade organisations, Chambers of Commerce, Civil Servants and the general public.  A Political section of the Representation deal with different parties and groups.  It’s also about explaining the UK to the EU.

More good news for Law and Economics students – these backgrounds are very popular amongst EC staff.  There is always a need for lawyers, and if someone trained as a barrister/solicitor in the UK and then came into Brussels it would be very highly regarded. Equally some law firms like people who’ve had experience working in the EU before applying for lawyer jobs.

More autonomy in the EC civil service than in the UK. You’re encouraged and expected to move on, and around.

In your application, demonstrate that you strong extra curricular activities and participated in clubs/societies as a leader.  Get an internship if you can.  Or get involved in European Politics, or meet your MEP.

 

A new office (started Jan 1st 2011) with a current staff of 35 that looks set to expand to over 150 in a year’s time.

Double remit of writing banking legislation and oversight with three core parts: Bank Regulation, Oversight Authority, and Operations.

They are currently growing organically and offering opportunities as and when the need arises.  They are currently recruiting at all levels – opportunities on their website and EPSO.

Standard need to be EU citizen and speak two languages, with English as the clear working language.

As the organisation is in the City of London and newly-emerging, this organisation offers strong developmental opportunities in an important area.

 

Please Mind The Gap April 5, 2011

Posted by Jeff Riley in : international development, work abroad, work experience , 2comments

A recent volunteering opportunity sent from an organisation in Tanzania points up a difficult issue in the volunteering industry. On the one hand you  have  local Ngos who need help with a range of activities and probably makes  modest profits  on its charges for food and board. On the other hand  they recruit volunteers to teach, for example, soccer skills but require  no qualifications  from  volunteers whatsoever.   A new film ‘Please Mind The Gap’ ( -->