Young American Volunteers Abroad Request 'Not to Come Home'

With youth unemployment at an all time high, extended volunteering option may prove a valuable option.

Photos courtesy: Andrew Bruce

(NEW YORK) - A number of volunteers on work placements with Projects Abroad (projects-abroad.org/) to Third World countries such as Shanghai in China, Accra in Ghana, Sivikasi in India, Chisinau in Moldova, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia have requested “not to come home“ from their work placements.

For the first time since being established in 1991, Projects Abroad have received a number of requests from young people in the field wanting to extend their trips, some indefinitely.

This year Projects Abroad will send over 5,000 young gap year travellers abroad on projects of between 2 weeks and 12 months.

“The prospect of gap year travellers returning to bleak employment prospects in America is not particularly exciting. A number are requesting extended placements, which we are looking into providing without further extra charge,” says Dr. Slowe.

Lord Peter Mandelson has backed a £500,000 package for Raleigh to send young people on 10 week placements.

“10 weeks is simply not proving long enough for young people eager to work and make a difference. A lot of them are better off carving a career out or working on enterprises in the Third World and clearly want to stay there as long as possible,” says Dr. Slowe.

Dr. Peter Slowe is the recently elected Chair of the Labour Finance and Industry Group.

Projects Abroad is the world’s largest commercial volunteer service organisation who recently organised the Gap year Safety Conference attended by British Safety Council, British Standards, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and endorsed by Princess Beatrice.

With youth unemployment at an all time high, extended volunteering option may prove a valuable option.