17th March 2011, 01:28 PM
Oh absolutely. The trouble comes when bills and rent need paying, and volunteering just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to this. I really think the industry needs to start thinking more pro-actively about taking on the younger, less experienced graduates and giving them the training that's needed. Yes it will mean spending a bit on training them, but to be fair you can pay them less anyway, and by the end of it your company will have someone who you know is trained well. Expecting new graduates to constantly volunteer to gain experience is short sighted in my opinion, and cuts out the poorer graduates. Only those with the good fortune of being able to sponge of parents whilst working for nothing get anywhere - really not ideal.
I am trying to volunteer at weekends, but the fact is not that much happens at weekends, and the area I want to work in - conservation planning and historic buildings - work, like everyone else, during the week. As do I. It's a very depressing, vicious circle, and only the industry can change it.
I am trying to volunteer at weekends, but the fact is not that much happens at weekends, and the area I want to work in - conservation planning and historic buildings - work, like everyone else, during the week. As do I. It's a very depressing, vicious circle, and only the industry can change it.