A meaningful role rather than aimless downtime
During her voluntary social year with the Ried Youth Red Cross, Huber-Hörmandinger visited nurseries with her hand puppet ‘ROKO’ and taught children about first aid through play. She also supported schoolchildren as a reading coach. In doing so, she not only gained practical experience but also gained clarity about her future career path.
“Before starting my degree, I simply wanted to do something different and meaningful in the health and youth sector. The FSJ gave me a huge boost in my career choice,” Huber-Hörmandinger recalls.
Today, she is studying occupational therapy at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. The experiences of working as part of a team and with children have particularly stayed with her: “The team spirit and collaboration were really good, and I learnt an incredible amount – especially when it comes to working with children.”
A commitment that lasts
Figures from the Upper Austrian Red Cross also show that a Voluntary Social Year can have an impact far beyond the twelve-month period: around 80 per cent of graduates continue to volunteer with the organisation afterwards. Huber-Hörmandinger, too, remained connected to the Red Cross and, during the summer holidays, helped prepare her former Youth Red Cross competition group for the National Youth Camp in Salzburg.
Gottfried Hirz, President of the Upper Austrian Red Cross, therefore sees the Voluntary Social Year as much more than simply an opportunity for career guidance: “The Voluntary Social Year is far more than just a year of orientation. Young people grow through their tasks, take on responsibility at an early age and experience first-hand what true community means. They invest time in society and gain skills in return that no one can ever take away from them.”
With a new outlook on the future
For Huber-Hörmandinger, the year has brought one thing above all else: confidence in choosing her own path. “The year gave me the courage and the reassurance to follow exactly the path I’m on now. You approach your studies or career with a completely new perspective, because you’ve already got to know the practical side and real life.”
We think a year in which young people can help others whilst at the same time discovering where their own path should lead is #absolutelybrilliant.
