Scouts benefit community and make good employees, new report shows

Scouts, both adult volunteers and young people, make better employees and do more for their community, a new report by PACEC has found.
 
The report draws on a substantial body of evidence following surveys with over 2,500 people. The research team consulted and engaged with 260 Scouting adult volunteers, almost 800 Scouts (aged 10-25), over 600 former Scouts, 100 young people not involved in Scouting and over 800 external organisations including voluntary and neighbourhood groups, public sector organisations and the private sector. 
 
89% of those currently involved in Scouting said that it had helped them build ‘key skills’ including social skills, team working and leadership. Private sector organisations agreed that this made Scouts better than average employees with 60% saying that Scouting helped build character and confidence. When recruiting, Scouting is a positive influence on firm’s decisions to employ in 41% of cases.
 
The report shows that as well as helping Scouts get jobs Scouting is a major asset for society. 38% of youth members have volunteered for other organisations and 40% of voluntary groups said they wouldn’t have been able to get the same amount of work done with the Scouts.
 
Moreover Scouting develops a volunteering spirit in its members for life as 36% of former youth Scout members volunteer for 2 hours a week, compared to 26% for the general population.
 
The report’s publication co-insides with the announcement that Scout Job Week will return as Scout Community Week for the first time in nearly twenty years. The move underlines The Scout’s commitment to local communities and aims to encourage young people to volunteer more for good causes in their local area.
 
Members of the Public will be able to contact local Scouting by email (community.week@scouts.org.uk) and suggest things in the community that Scouting could tackle.
 
Bear Grylls, UK Chief Scout, said:
 
“Volunteering is at the very heart of Scouting. All Scouts promise to help other people and there is no better way of showing this than getting involved in your community. I hope that as many Scout Groups as possible will get inspired in this celebration of their own community next May. My own Scouting visits around the UK always remind me that if you want something done then ask a busy person! This country is full of many people who give of their spare time to make a difference and I am proud to be amongst their numbers. Together we can influence positive change."
 
Steffi Place, a Scout aged 14 from Milton Keynes, who helped in the construction of the garden at Milton Keynes hospital said:

“I can’t wait to get involved in Scout Community Week. I really felt like I was making a difference in helping build a garden for my local hospital. It’s also really great to put the voluntary work down on my CV.”