For employers and community organisations

Find out how you can engage with the programme and how students develop important skills for the workplace.

About the Wellington Plus programme

Wellington Plus is managed by Careers and Employment at at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. The programme is designed to recognise students’ volunteer and civic engagement activities, and help prepare them for the workforce by developing students’ leadership, social responsibility, and employability skills.

Wellington Plus connects students from all disciplines with projects and volunteer work around the Wellington region and on the University’s campuses. The programme has around 1200 students, who volunteer each year with 70+ different community organisations and 30 student services on campus.

Established in 2008, the Wellington Plus Programme was the first service and leadership programme of its kind in New Zealand’s tertiary education sector. The programme extends the University’s relationships with the Wellington community and not-for-profit sector and in 2019, the programme won the Benefitting Society category of the prestigious International Green Gown Awards. This award recognised the more than 125,000 hours of volunteer effort students have contributed to the Wellington community since the programme began.

There are two levels of achievement in the Programme; the Certificate requires approximately 80 hours’ effort and can be completed in 6–12 months. The Award requires approximately 250 hours of work and students complete this level of achievement over 2–3 years. Both the Certificate and Award are noted on students’ academic transcripts.

What participating students do on the Programme

There are three components that students complete, all of which are overseen and verified by Programme staff.

1. Undertake volunteer activities on campus or for a registered charity in the Wellington community.

2. Participate in personal and professional workshops.

3. Write a reflective portfolio that is assessed against a rubric.

Take a look at the profiles of students who have previously achieved the Programme.

How the Programme develops students

Completing the Programme demonstrates that students have taken the initiative to get involved outside of their studies to enhance your own personal and professional development. Students who complete the Wellington Plus Programme develop the following employability skills and graduate attributes:

  • leadership
  • social responsibility
  • communication
  • teamwork
  • problem solving
  • multi-cultural perspective
  • initiative and enterprise
  • critical and creative thinking.

Engage with the Wellington Plus Programme

Registered charities and not-for-profit organisations can recruit and engage student volunteers through the Wellington Plus Programme. Students participating in the Programme will ask you to sign an Activity Verification Form for the hours they have completed with your organisation.

Deliver a workshop on campus. We are always on the lookout for presenters to deliver workshops on leadership and social responsibility. Each year we run approximately 12 workshops facilitated by representatives from the community and voluntary, government, and private sectors. Email wellingtonplus@vuw.ac.nz to find out more.

Find more information about engaging with Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington or connecting specifically with students.

For further information contact wellingtonplus@vuw.ac.nz or phone 04 463 5393.

“Volunteer Wellington have been working with the Wellington Plus Programme since 2008; during that time we’ve witnessed the impact of students volunteering right across the community sector – and using their skills for the benefit of the Wellington community. Wellington Plus is important to us because it’s creating the next generation of volunteers with a strong social conscience.”
Julie Thomson, Regional Manager, Volunteer Wellington
“Having completed the Wellington Plus Award demonstrates that I did more than just study throughout university. Being actively involved in the University as well as the greater Wellington community allowed me to explain my abilities effectively and show where my passions lie.”
Alumni of Wellington Plus
“Participating in Wellington Plus improved my communication, gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone, and I can recognise my strengths and weaknesses and work to them. This has enabled me to seek out better employment opportunities and be a better-rounded employee.”
Alumni of Wellington Plus