Enhancing volunteer skills through mega sport events

Abstract

The Olympic Games and other mega sport events (MSEs) are major hubs of volunteering activity. One of the key reasons individuals are keen to dedicate their time and efforts to support these events is the opportunity to enhance their knowledge, skills, networks and career prospects. This chapter discusses the outcomes of volunteering at the Olympic Games in relation to skill enhancement. A case study drawn from 77 individuals who volunteered at the Fleet Transport functional area of the London 2012 Olympic Games is presented. The participants were asked to retrospectively reflect on their experiences at the Games. The findings suggest that volunteer skills’ development is evident, particularly related to soft skills that are transferable to other situations. Benefits in relation to personal, communicational, values-based and interpersonal skills were noted. However, such benefits are often unplanned, and mediated by the local context and individual demographics, social and financial stability. Thus, to achieve social legacies, more supportive structures and institutional arrangements are needed by the host government, Local Organising Committee and other stakeholders to ensure that volunteers with an enhanced skill profile are effectively mobilised to support their local communities and other activities beyond the event.