​The Illinois 2015 Year of the Volunteer designated August as the month to recognize volunteers who impact workforce development. The Year of the Volunteer celebrates the accomplishments of the 2.6 million volunteers in Illinois. The goal of a non-partisan Senate resolution was to increase the number of Illinoisans not yet volunteering and to retain the current volunteers that we have in our state.

In 2013, 27% of Illinois residents volunteered ranking us at 26th of the 50 states. The 320 million hours of service equals approximately $7.2 billion dollars worth of service. You are the difference - is the initiatives slogan, because without the volunteers, organizations would not to be able to offer as many services as cost effectively.

Each month has a focus in the Year of the Volunteer with August focusing on Workforce Development. Guest speaker Peggy Luce, working with the Year of the Volunteer, discussed each of the month's focuses and shared stories of how each type of volunteer organization was able to impact the workforce. She shared stories of how volunteer experiences led to employment, and how others may have gained or retained new skills for their career path. Individuals are not the only ones who volunteer. Many companies promote volunteering through the workplace. Ms. Luce shared stories about companies caring about their communities.

One of the final slides in this webinar shared how volunteering impacts students through an improved attitude toward self, increased attitude toward school and learning, teaching civil engagement, improving social skills and academic performance.

To find out how your organization can be involved, click here: http://www2.illinois.gov/serve.

Download the presentation and watch the archived webinar on YouTube or below.

• Volunteer Services Impacting Workforce Development (PDF) (SlideShare)
  
  

Find more information and resources specific to volunteering here: www.illinoisworknet.com/Volunteering.