PAMELA SIMON
Manager, Education
Surf Life Saving NSW

Presentation

VOLUNTEER RETENTION IN A COMPETITIVE VOLUNTEER MARKET

Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) is the state’s major water safety and rescue organisation, and with over 58,000 members is one of the largest volunteer movements in the state.

The primary role of SLSNSW is the commitment to saving lives on our beaches, while other activities include member development, surf sports and education. Research conducted during 2006 around Australia confirmed that Surf Life Saving is the best-known community volunteer organisation.

SLSNSW encourages and supports their volunteers to complete formal training, which directly contributes to its ongoing viability, ensures we are in line with best practice and can gain the edge over other volunteer competitors. In particular, the benefits of SLSNSW’s commitment to support volunteers attain qualifications does:

1. Enhances performance by recognising, valuing and better drawing upon the skills and knowledge of our volunteers.
   
2. Fosters a strong and vibrant organisational culture by improving morale.
3. Encourages the standardisation of training and development of our volunteers.
4. Increases the attractiveness of our organisation to prospective volunteers.

Formal training for volunteers has begun to assume special importance, both as a requirement of the volunteering role and as a motivation to volunteer. A trainer of volunteers not only facilitates competency strengthening but also contributes to motivating volunteers by helping them to achieve and maintain satisfaction in their roles.

We believe that a volunteer who is competent in their role will have more of a reason to continue to volunteer than one which is under stress bacause of lack of understanding and skills.

At SLSNSW, we make the most of what our volunteers know and this has obvious benefits for both the volunteers and our organisation.

Pamela Simon is the Manager, Education for Surf Life Saving NSW. She has to focus on making the most of what people know and can do in a manner that yields advantage to the individual, the organisation,  the environment, and the community – primarily through volunteers.

Surf Life Saving NSW has 11 Branches, 129 clubs and almost 60,000 members. The main role of the Education Division of SLSNSW is to develop and manage educational programs  to ensure members achieve a high standard of knowledge and proficiency in current rescue and emergency care techniques and equipment.

Last financial year SLSNSW delivered almost 43,000 Awards – both accredited and non-accredited, to members and commercial clients.

Pamela’s role also incorporates the management of the Australian Life Saving Academy of NSW, and therefore the compliance of the RTO.