Volunteers

Whilst Schoolies is often referred to as a festival or event, it is essentially a holiday period where Year 12 school leavers, who are predominantly under the age of 18, book end-of-school holidays in popular tourist destinations. The Gold Coast has been a chosen destination for many Queensland high school graduates since the 1970’s.

The Queensland Government doesn't promote or encourage young people to book Schoolies holidays, rather it is committed to ensuring that the holiday period is as safe as possible for school leavers, local residents, businesses and the community in general.

This is achieved through the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response which provides support to schoolies and local communities, and aims to balance the needs of both by encouraging young people to engage in safe and responsible behaviour.

In 2019, the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response will be activated from Saturday 16 – Friday 22 November.

Being a safer schoolies volunteer

Each year, hundreds of dedicated and caring volunteers give up their time to help make Schoolies as safe as possible. Safer Schoolies volunteers work closely with a number of community organisations as well as local and state government agencies to deliver vital safety and support services to school leavers celebrating on the Gold Coast.

Safer Schoolies volunteers patrol in groups of four and provide a first point of contact for schoolies and the local community in need.

They fulfil a range of roles including supporting and assisting emergency service personnel and being a friendly face that schoolies can trust with the right advice or support when needed.

To volunteer at Schoolies you must:

  • be aged 18 and over
  • undergo training
  • hold a current Blue Card issued by Blue Card Services. If you do not have a Blue Card, we can provide you with all the information you need to apply for one
  • be able to work in a team environment.

Volunteers often find the experience enormously rewarding and a great opportunity to make new friends.

Volunteer recruitment for 2019 is now closed

Thank you to everyone who has generously offered their time to volunteer as a Safer Schoolies Volunteer this year to help keep young people safe.

Safer Schoolies volunteer recruitment for 2019 has now closed.

If you are interested in volunteering with us during the 2020 Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response (Saturday 14 – Friday 20 November, 2020), please complete our expression of interest form and a member of our team will be in touch with you soon.

Register my expression of interest to volunteer in 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to be a Safer Schoolies Volunteer?

You must be 18+yrs, undergo training, hold a current Blue Card (or we can assist you in applying for one) and be able to work in a team environment.

What days and times do you need volunteers?

Shifts are available between the following hours:

  • Saturday 16 November – 9am to 2am
  • Sunday 17 to Friday November 22 – 6pm to 2am.

How do I sign up?

Online via our Safer Schoolies Volunteer page.

NEW volunteers: you will need to create a profile on our volunteer portal – simply click on ‘fill in an application’ and follow the instructions

RETURNING volunteers: simply click on ‘fill in an application’ and at the bottom right you will see the instructions for volunteers who already have a username/account.

How much does a Blue Card cost?

There is no cost involved for the Blue Cards as you will be volunteering.

I already have a Blue Card, do I need to do anything?

We will need you to fill out a Blue Card form to link you to our organisation. We will send this through to you partially filled out with instructions on what to do.

I work and have uni during the week, when could I volunteer?

Shifts are available during the day on Saturday 16 November, as well as early evenings or late evenings Sunday 17 to Friday November 22. Shift times are flexible, and we are happy to work with you to find the right times to suit. You nominate which shifts you want to do.

I can only volunteer one day, can I still sign up?

Yes! Even if you can only do one shift. We would love for you to come and experience the Safer Schoolies Response. Once you have signed up we will release the shift days/times and you can pick the one that best suits your availability. You nominate which shift you want to do.

What roles do Schoolies Support Team (SST) Volunteers undertake?

We have two key roles available:

  1. Wristband Assistant – In this role, you would be located at our Wristband Centre and will have the role of placing wristbands onto school leaver’s wrists, recording statistics and entering data via an iPad, assisting with queue monitoring, as well as providing information and assistance to school leavers preparing to collect their wristband.
  2. Roving Street/Beach Patrols – In this role you would be walking the Response Zone in teams of four (4) providing information, advice and directions to school leavers and general Surfers Paradise visitors, walking schoolies back to their accommodation, identifying schoolies in need of assistance and referring them to the appropriate support service.

How long is a shift?

Shifts are usually 5 to 6 hours in length.

Is there any training?

Yes, training will be offered in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.

Brisbane based volunteers can attend training on Tuesday 22 October, from 6pm to 9:30pm, at Mt Gravatt Bowls Club. Gold Coast based volunteers can attend training on Monday 28 October, Tuesday 29 October or Wednesday 6 November, from 6pm to 9:30pm, at our office in Surfers Paradise.

Does it take long to sign up?

The application itself will take approx. 5 minutes. The Blue Card checks may take up to 6 weeks, so we encourage you to get this process started sooner rather than later.

How many volunteers are you hoping to recruit this year?

We are hoping to recruit up to 250 Schoolies Support Team members to assist in keeping this year’s school leavers and the community as safe as possible.

Can I get a certificate for the volunteer hours I complete, so it can count towards my required hours for Uni/TAFE/College?

Yes you can. Each volunteer receives a certificate and if required we can provide further certification of the hours volunteered.

My friend and I are both signing up to volunteer. Can we be rostered onto the same SST team together? And how do we note this when registering?

Yes you can. There is a question in the registration form that allows you to nominate the person/s that you wish to work with.

What will volunteers get out of the experience?

Giving back to the community. A sense of pride.

Helping keep school leavers, and the broader community, safe.

The opportunity to forge new friendships.

For students: those who are studying criminology, law, nursing, medicine or paramedicine, volunteering as a Schoolies Support Team member offers the chance to gain valuable experience – it will also look great on your resume.