Amira Ali

Abstract

The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the extent to which volunteering at the university level in Egypt has an impact on skill development and employment opportunities for graduates. In the first part, the scope and nature of student volunteering in Egypt is identified as well as the motives, barriers and benefits of student volunteering. The perceived impact of student volunteering is assessed with regards to personal development, transferrable skills, and employability. In the second part of the study, the value of volunteering to Egyptian employers is examined to indicate the extent to which volunteering could increase graduates employability. For the first part of the study, a total of 335 public and private university students were surveyed in the area of Greater Cairo. Student volunteers and non-volunteers responded to a questionnaire on the perceived motives, barriers, and benefits of student volunteering. The descriptive results indicate that volunteering has a positive impact on personal development, transferrable skills, and future employability. For the second part of the study, a total of 50 employers in both the public and private sectors were surveyed to assess the value of volunteering and whether it increases future employability. The descriptive results indicate that volunteering equip students with the skills demanded by employers. The results indicate that the most important soft skills to Egyptian employers are communication skills, time management, teamwork, computer literacy, and flexibility. Out of the top five skills demanded by employers, volunteering has been found to improve competence at three important skills namely communication, teamwork, and flexibility. Also, volunteering was found to improve a candidates' image to employers and has a positive effect on employability. The findings reflect a need to encourage and promote student volunteering at the university level to improve graduates' skills and employment opportunities.

Department

Public Policy & Administration Department

Graduation Date

2-1-2013

Submission Date

August 2012

First Advisor

El Baradei, Laila

Extent

NA

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Library of Congress Subject Heading 1

Social service -- Egypt.

Library of Congress Subject Heading 2

Voluntarism -- Egypt.

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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