C-IVS Skills: certifying what volunteers learn
Every year more than 15,000 young people gain new skills, competencies and knowledge through International Voluntary Service (IVS). Those skills, in communication, teamwork, intercultural dialogue, leadership, and global citizenship deserve to be recognised. C-IVS Skills is building the framework and tools to make that recognition a reality.
15, 000+
volunteers per year globally
29
competences across 7 clusters
17
partner organisations
80+
countries in the CCIVS network
Who is involved
C-IVS Skills is coordinated by CCIVS, a UNESCO-affiliated body with 170+ member organisations across 80+ countries. The Erasmus+ funded 17-partner consortium spans Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Belgium, France and Austria, including grassroots IVS organisations, the major IVS networks (ICYE, SCI, Alliance), and two universities: Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences (Zimbabwe) and Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry (France).
The project runs January 2026 to June 2028. It is complemented by an annual work plan funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, which deepens the rights-based framing and youth co-creation process.
What the project does
| Certification framework A structured framework of 29 competences across 7 clusters, each assessed at three progressive levels; Intermediate, Good, and Advanced, making what volunteers learn visible and comparable. |
| Digital platform A lightweight digital system where volunteers document and certify their learning, integrated into existing IVS platforms used by the worldwide members and partners of Service Civil International and the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations. |
| Institutional recognition Working with institutions, universities and employers to ensure that competences certified through IVS are recognised for academic credit and in hiring processes, and that the contribution of non-formal and experiential learning, including through university and corporate volunteering programmes, is integrated into lifelong education and professional development. |
| Youth-led advocacy Young people trained as advocates who can make the case to policymakers, institutions and employers that skills gained through volunteering deserve formal recognition as a social right. |
Co-funded by the European Union and the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), or the Council of Europe. Neither the European Union, EACEA, nor the Council of Europe can be held responsible for them.
