Millennium Volunteers’ Short Stories a hit with Education Minister

Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has congratulated young volunteers for their DVD short stories.

The two DVD short stories about politics, the media, film and communications, were produced by volunteers and were screened at a special event organised by the Millennium Volunteers.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said: “Anyone who gives up their time to volunteer is doing something very special. The journey to becoming a Millennium Volunteer and preparing to commit up to 200 hours of your time is a significant commitment for any young person. I’m glad that through the Millennium Volunteer programme funded by my Department young people have been supported to volunteer and have become ambassadors for volunteering.

“Volunteering enriches society. It is not about getting things done for free. It’s about providing opportunities for young people to try something new, to be active citizens and to gain new skills while contributing to their community.

“Employers today have extremely high demands of young people entering work for the first time. They expect positive, energetic young people who can work as part of a team; who can use their own initiative and who are willing and able to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.

“Education in its widest sense prepares young people for this, and volunteering provides a sense of what the world of work is like, and enables young people to gain skills and experiences beyond the classroom.”

The Millennium Volunteers produced two DVDs. The first DVD – ‘RESPECT’ explores the idea of citizenship, what this meant to them and how they fulfilled citizenship through their volunteering. The second DVD – ‘OUR VOICE: OUR VIEW’ looks at what politicians think of volunteering and young people, their experiences of volunteering and if they thought it was important to volunteer.

The Minister concluded: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have taken time out of your very busy schedules to assist all the young people involved and of course all those who have contributed to both DVDs.”

Notes to editors:

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