VECT (Volunteer Experience and Career Training) is a co-curricular program where students gain experience volunteering in the non-profit or public sector, contribute to community initiatives, and enhance their career readiness. Students volunteer with an organization for a minimum of 30 hours. These positions are either coordinated through VECT or independently arranged by students (with approval from the VECT Coordinator). Students also complete orientation and training that supports their professional development and helps them reflect on their experience and articulate the transferable skills, knowledge, and attitudes they have developed. Students who successfully complete VECT receive formal recognition on their Professional Career Development Record (PCDR).
Through VECT, we:
match motivated students with volunteer activities or positions in the non-profit and public sectors in the Guelph-Wellington region,
provide resources and guidance to help ensure the experience is mutually beneficial for both students and the partner organizations,
provide students with training and coaching about the principles of community-engaged work and workplace professionalism, and,
help students reflect on their experience and effectively communicate how the experience supports their career journey.
VECT aims to:
Contribute meaningfully to community initiatives,
Build students’ civic-mindedness and capacity for ongoing community engagement,
Contribute to students’ career readiness through paraprofessional opportunities in the non-profit and public sectors,
Enhance students’ sense of belonging on campus and in the community, and,
Expand students’ personal and professional networks.
The VECT Coordinator works with interested organizations to identify volunteer opportunities that:
address a wide range of community needs,
align with the needs of students and the organization,
are in-person (or hybrid) and are accessible by public transit, and,
can provide students with feedback and coaching from a placement supervisor.
Students complete an application process, which includes:
a brief interview with the VECT coordinator
submitting a resume
applying to and ranking opportunities offered by organizations partnering with VECT
The VECT Coordinator will review student applications and rankings, and match students to organizations accordingly. Organizations will be able to review the matched students’ resumes and cover letters before moving forward with their own onboarding processes (e.g. interviews, vulnerable sector check, etc.)
Students begin volunteering during the first month of the academic term (September, January, May).
Students complete at least 30 hours of volunteer work with your organization. Depending on your organization’s onboarding process and volunteer needs (and students’ availability), students may complete the VECT program requirements in one or two semesters.
Students have formalized opportunities to reflect on what they learned and developed through the experience, with support from their volunteer supervisor and the VECT Coordinator.
If the experience was mutually beneficial, students are encouraged to continue volunteering independently with your organization after the program ends.
Before an organization can host VECT students, the organization will need to review and formally acknowledge the host organization responsibilities and requirements, found in the dropdown section below.
Organizations will need to create a profile on the Experience Guelph portal.
For each volunteer opportunity, the organization must complete a VECT posting on Experience Guelph and have the position approved by our VECT Coordinator. Further instructions on this process will be provided and support is always available.
Identify a supervisor for the volunteer who will:
Provide an orientation to the organization,
Offer formative and summative coaching and feedback,
Complete a brief evaluation at the end of the student’s experience,
Verify the students’ volunteer hours.
Please find general overview of program timelines below:
Spring Cohort
Fall Cohort
Winter Cohort
Organizations submit positions
By end of February
By end of June
By end of October
Students apply to VECT & specific volunteer positions
March/April
July/August
November/December
Volunteer is matched with organization & organizational onboarding begins
E.g. Interviews, references, record checks
May
September
January
Student volunteers
May until November
September until March
January until July
Supervisor signs off on hours and submits an evaluation
November /December
March/April
July/August
VECT Roles and Responsibilities
Student:
Complete VECT application and placement process.
Commit to a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer work over one to two semesters.
Participate in required VECT professional development activities.
Adhere to a code of conduct established by the organization and respect all organizational policies, including policies around confidentiality.
Receive and incorporate feedback from their VECT placement supervisor.
Reflect on their experiences and articulate the skills gained.
Placement Organization:
Complete the VECT placement process (posting, volunteer selection).
Provide a designated supervisor to oversee student volunteer(s).
Provide applicable onboarding and orientation, and formative and summative feedback.
Complete a student evaluation and confirm student volunteer hours.
VECT Coordinator:
Promote VECT and recruit volunteer placements and students.
Oversee the process for confirming students in placements.
Provide professional development and resources to support students' preparedness and reflective learning process.
Provide coaching and support to both students and placement organizations as needed.
Oversee administration of program, including annual evaluation.
VECT Placement Criteria
Organizations hosting VECT students must meet the following criteria, and be able to provide documentation upon request by the University of Guelph within a reasonable amount of time:
Have a Board of Directors or a comparable governing structure;
Maintain in force comprehensive general liability insurance for itself and its employees, with limits of at least FIVE MILLION DOLLARS Cdn $5,000,000 inclusive per occurrence; and,
Have an anti-harassment policy, that includes volunteers, and addresses prevention, reporting, and handling of harassment.
Organization representative, on behalf of your organization, please indicate that you acknowledge and agree to the following by signing in the space provided below:
I have read and understand the objectives of the VECT program and understand the Roles and Responsibilities of VECT Placement Organizations and Supervisors;
Our organization will provide VECT students with appropriate support, supervision, monitoring, and evaluation by qualified individuals;
Our organization will provide VECT students with on-site orientation that includes instruction regarding relevant policies and safety requirements, in compliance with all relevant health and safety guidelines and legislation, including reporting protocols related to sexual misconduct or violence, to the extent applicable to the specific activity being performed;
VECT students will not be required to perform any activity unless such activity might reasonably be expected to be within the scope of the training and ability of average students at the same stage in these students' training;
Our organization reserves the right to intervene, including suspend or dismiss a VECT student whose conduct is potentially dangerous or harmful, or jeopardizes our organization's operations or safety of those at our organization; and
Our organization / I will immediately report to the University of Guelph, through the VECT Coordinator, any issues, concerns, workplace incidents, or injuries involving VECT student.
The Experiential Learning Hub is home to experiential learning opportunities on and off-campus, co-op, career education and community engaged learning.
