Volunteers, Students and Interns

Volunteering is time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain, according to Volunteering Australia’s definition. Volunteers usually support community, charitable, emergency or sporting organisations.

Volunteering is a popular way to spend time, make connections and contribute to the community – in fact, 36 per cent of people in Australia had volunteered in the previous year, according to 2023 figures from Volunteering Australia.

Volunteering is a fantastic way to share and develop skills, connect with others, make a difference in the community and be a part of something bigger.

In any given year, hundreds of devoted volunteers donate their time and skills to SSI to improve the lives of the clients and communities we serve.

Read what our volunteer Alaa says about volunteering with SSI.

Our dedicated Volunteer team will support you throughout your journey at SSI, from connecting you with the most relevant SSI team to match your skills and interests to offering regular check-ins to ensure everything is going smoothly, and you are getting the most out of your volunteer experience.

You will also have the chance to meet with other SSI volunteers, students and staff to share learnings, develop new skills and feel part of a community working towards making a difference and building a more equal Australia.

We also offer our volunteers support with employment skills if relevant. This includes CV writing workshops, job searching tips, preparing for an interview and writing a cover letter. This is just one of the opportunities the SSI Volunteer facilitates so that our volunteers:

• shape their involvement at SSI and in the community
• increase their impact by sharing their skills and passion with others
• feel their motivations and objectives to volunteer are fulfilled.

We currently offer volunteer and student/intern placements in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales where our offices are based. Some of our volunteer opportunities are available remotely.

Volunteering and student/intern placements are different.

Volunteering is, by definition, voluntary, which means the volunteer is not obliged to undertake ‘unpaid’ work for a reason like completing education. Instead, volunteers choose to support an organisation or cause they are interested in by offering their time and effort and don’t receive payment.

Student/intern placements are a formal work experience arrangement that is part of an education or training course. Student/intern placements have different obligations, outcomes and hours that need to be completed for an education or training course.

At SSI, we welcome both volunteers as well as students and interns. If you’re interested in undertaking a student/intern placement, please don’t apply for a volunteer role, contact us at students@ssi.org.au to discuss further.

It’s your choice. The length of time you’re able to commit to a particular role depends upon your circumstances, interests, and availability.

Sometimes we set a minimum length of time a volunteer is required, as the teams you may be placed with need to complete specific organisational objectives and volunteer support contributes to achieving those objectives.

However, we believe the longer you volunteer, the better your experience. Stronger connections are developed with your team and the people you are supporting, and your overall contribution will have more positive outcomes for you and those around you.

This depends on your availability and the role you are volunteering for. The number of hours you volunteer per week could range from 2 to 16 hours per week, with 16 hours being the maximum number of hours you can volunteer per week.

Most volunteer roles at SSI take place between Monday-Friday, during office hours. We occasionally have opportunities in the evening and on weekends.

Yes. All SSI staff, volunteers and students are required to undertake background checks such as a Working with Children/Blue Card and criminal history checks, as most of our volunteer roles and student placements involve interacting with people and communities who might be vulnerable, such as children or people seeking asylum.

Working with Children Checks/Blue Cards are free for volunteers and students, and we pay for your criminal history check.

If you already have a criminal history check, for our compliance policy and procedures, we’ll need to conduct one as well, as you’ll be placed with SSI.

It does not cost anything for individuals to volunteer or undertake a student placement. We reimburse volunteers and students for out-of-pocket expenses related to your placement duties/tasks, such as travel to see, accompany or support clients or meals or resources purchased for an SSI activity/event. All purchases must be approved by your supervisor first.

We do not reimburse you for travel to and from the location you’ll be volunteering or undertaking your placement, or for travel to social functions.

There are three mandatory training courses volunteers and students need to attend and complete during their time with us.

Volunteer and Student Induction: Delivered online by our Volunteer team. The purpose of the induction is to introduce you to SSI and your role so you get a better understanding of your rights and responsibilities and relevant SSI policies and procedures to support during your placement.

Child Wellbeing & Mandatory Reporting: Delivered online by the Learning & Development team. This training is a component of SSI’s commitment to being a child-safe organisation. A child-safe organisation creates an environment where children’s safety and wellbeing are at the centre of everything we do. The purpose of this training is to understand your role in achieving this objective, your legal requirements and procedures of mandatory reporting and the child protection laws in your state.

Culturally Responsive Practice: This online course provides an overview of Australia’s rich multicultural identity. It explores how we can be culturally responsive and inclusive when working with colleagues, individuals, families and communities from diverse cultural backgrounds.

While you are welcome to explore other training and development opportunities during your time with us, it’s not mandatory to attend these sessions.

Employment Pathways Support: These sessions are run by SSI volunteers for SSI volunteers and students and include CV writing support, information sessions on writing cover letters, job applications, preparing for interviews and job searching tips.

Our volunteer facilitators have excellent skills, knowledge and experience supporting people with employment pathway advice and assistance and are available to support you with all your employment-seeking needs.

SSI Lunch n Learn Sessions: These sessions are usually conducted monthly. These sessions provide an opportunity to find out more about SSI programs and community awareness campaigns like National Volunteer Week, Refugee Week and International Day of People with Disability.

E-modules: You’ll have access to an e-learning portal that will help you grow both personally and professionally. There are various learning opportunities available including SSI compliance information, career guidance and skill development.

Check-in sessions: Our Volunteer team conducts online check-in sessions so you can discuss your placement, ask questions or address any issues. These sessions also provide an opportunity to meet other volunteers and students to share ideas and get the most out of your volunteer or student placement experience with us.