Hi all,

I am seeking some advice regarding both the effectiveness and implications of sourcing expertise from university students and graduates for volunteering opportunities. 

I spent some of my time whilst at university volunteering for a non-profit, and also some time after university offering some marketing skills remotely whilst I was looking for paid work. Both experiences proved to be invaluable, and were intrinsically very rewarding.

I found however that after lending my time at both organisations, my connections with the organisations seemed to wane very quickly, and I was hardly given much form of recognition. 

This has therefore led me to questioning, are there any companies or websites that help facilitate this exchange of services, and then provide the volunteer with a formal certification of recognition that can help employment prospects (possibly in the form of a certification on Linkedin).

We all know the benefits that both parties experience from such connections, but I want to look into with a bit more depth, why there arn't more university students and graduates maturing their skills before they enter the workforce.

All ideas and feedback (both big or small, positive and negative) regarding this concept would be much appreciated!

Thanks a-lot,

Jack