UOWx is keen to hear about your external volunteering and learning. UOWx provides an opportunity for students to apply for recognition on external opportunities to UOW, including volunteering, seminars and workshops, self-learning / development and engaging with UOWx community partners.
If you find your own volunteering opportunity, then you can apply to have that recognised by UOWx and added to your UOWx Record after you have completed your volunteering for the year.
In order to qualify to have your experience listed on your UOWx Record, follow this easy 3 step process:
To receive UOWx recognition for external volunteering activities you find yourself, you must complete the following:
Please note that time spent training for the role can be included in your hours completed for the role, but only if the training occurred in the same calendar year as the rest of the hours you are claiming.
If approved, the external organisation will be de-identified on your UOWx Record and listed as one of the below sub-categories* which you will select in the claim form:
* These categories have been identified by the NSW Government Family and Community Services
You can receive formal recognition of your learning by adding your active participation in a workshop, conference or seminar to your UOWx record. To be eligible for recognition, each seminar must:
You also have the choice of completing an online seminar or MOOC. The online seminar must meet the same eligibility requirements as the face-to-face seminars. Providers such as LinkedIn Learning (free to UOW students), EdX, Coursera and Future Learn offer a fantastic range of courses that can develop your leadership, academic or employability skills.
In order to have your active participation recognised, you will need to Complete the workshop, conference & seminar recognition form.
You are required to explain how the seminar developed your skills and provide verification of your attendance/completion. This could include a registration invoice/participation certificate or verification letter from the seminar provider.
Please note - workshops, conferences or seminars run by an external organisation will be de-identified on your UOWx record. These workshops will be allocated to one of the following sub categories: academic, employability, industry, leadership or special interest and this sub category will appear on your UOWx record.
UOWx has developed a partnership with a number of local community organisations to provide UOWx recognition for specific volunteering roles within their organisation. Click on the links below to find out more about the roles on offer.
If you undertake one of the above volunteering roles with our Community Partners, simply email the UOWx team to let them know you have signed up.
In the email, please include:
The UOWx team will then enroll you in the appropriate UOWx Portal activity so you can start logging your hours.
You must keep a logbook of your hours and have this signed off by your supervisor throughout your time volunteering. This logbook will need to be uploaded to Moodle and approved by the UOWx team.
Your volunteering experience will be added on your UOWx Record once you have met the minimum required hours in a calendar year.
"Last year I began volunteering as a Girl Guide Volunteer at one of the local Girl Guide Units in Wollongong. This has been an amazing opportunity as it has allowed me to develop my leadership skills and form a stronger connection with the broader community.
I would highly recommend external volunteering to all UOW students, especially those who may be new to the Wollongong area, as it really allows you to extend your network past just the university setting.
Additionally, getting UOWx recognition that showcases the skills I have developed through this volunteering experience has made it all the more rewarding."
– Annabel Green, Community Partner Volunteer
