Volunteering to get experience for public sector jobs

Volunteering is one of the most reliable ways into entry-level public sector work. It gives you recent examples for an application form, a referee who has seen you work, and a sense of whether you like the setting. Hospitals, schools, councils and emergency services all take volunteers, and the criminal record check you may need is free for volunteers in England and Wales.

Why it helps your application

Public sector applications are scored against the person specification. For entry-level roles, the essential criteria are often things like “experience of working with children”, “experience of caring for others”, “good communication with the public” or “ability to work in a team”. If you have no paid work in the area, volunteering gives you something real to write about.

It also gives you a reference. Many employers ask for references covering recent years, and a volunteer coordinator or teacher who supervised you is a better referee than someone who knew you years ago. NHS employers use values-based recruitment, and volunteering is good evidence of values such as compassion and respect.

Volunteering in the NHS

Most hospital trusts run a voluntary services team. Typical roles include ward helpers, meet-and-greet guides, mealtime companions, chaplaincy visitors, pharmacy runners and helpers in outpatient clinics. Some ambulance trusts recruit community first responders, and mental health trusts often have peer volunteer roles.

To find them, search your local trust’s website for “volunteering” or “voluntary services”. The minimum age varies by trust and role. Some programmes are aimed at young people and others need you to be an adult. Expect an application form, an informal interview, references, an occupational health questionnaire and, for many roles, a check by the Disclosure and Barring Service. You also do the trust’s induction and some mandatory training.

Volunteering in a hospital will not let you do clinical tasks, but it puts you on wards, shows you how teams work and gives you a feel for shifts. It is useful preparation for healthcare assistant jobs and other roles you can get without a degree.

Volunteering in schools

Schools take parent helpers, reading volunteers and people who help on trips or with clubs. Some take volunteers who are interested in becoming teaching assistants or teachers. Contact the school office and say what you can offer and when.

Schools follow safer recruitment rules. Depending on what you do and how often, you may need an enhanced DBS check, and the school decides whether a barred list check is required. You will be given the school’s safeguarding policy and told who the designated safeguarding lead is.

Regular volunteering, even half a day a week for a term, gives you concrete examples for a teaching assistant application. The guide on getting a school job with no experience covers other ways in.

Councils and other public services

Councils use volunteers in libraries, parks, museums, youth services and community projects. Police forces recruit special constables (unpaid volunteer officers with full powers) and police support volunteers. Fire and rescue services, HM Coastguard and the St John Ambulance and Red Cross services that work with the NHS also take volunteers.

Roles with charities that work alongside public services also count as relevant experience, for example befriending older people, supporting people with learning disabilities or mentoring young people.

Checks and costs

Volunteers in England and Wales get standard and enhanced DBS checks free. Paid applicants pay £20.00 for a standard check and £41.00 for an enhanced check from 5 October 2026, usually paid by the employer. The organisation applies for the check, not you. The guide to DBS check levels explains which check fits which role.

In Scotland, PVG scheme membership is free for volunteers. In Northern Ireland, AccessNI checks are free for eligible volunteers.

You should not be paid for volunteering, but many organisations repay reasonable travel expenses. Ask before you start.

Using it on an application

Describe volunteering as you would paid work. Give the organisation, your role, how often you went and the dates. In the supporting statement, use specific examples: a time you calmed a worried patient’s relative, helped a child who was struggling to read, or worked with staff to sort out a problem. The STAR method (situation, task, action, result) is a good way to structure them.

Keep a short diary while you volunteer, noting what you did and anything that went well or badly. Months later, when you are filling in a form, it is much easier to pull a strong example from notes than from memory.

If you are on Universal Credit or another benefit, tell your work coach before you start volunteering. It usually does not affect payments as long as you are not paid and you still meet your commitments.