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.

Who is involved

C-IVS Skills is coordinated by CCIVS, a UNESCO-affiliated body with 170+ member organisations across 80+ countries. The Erasmus+ funded consortium brings together 17 partners from Southern Africa and Europe: grassroots IVS organisations Zimbabwe Workcamps Association, South Africa Volunteer Work Camp Association, Botswana Workcamps Association, COFO Malawi, AJUDE, AJOV, SCI Austria, Grenzenlos, Lunaria, COCAT, GloRe and Egyesek; the major IVS networks ICYE, SCI and Alliance; and two universities, Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences and Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier.

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.

Recognise volunteering as learning and connect your students to the world

International Voluntary Service produces documented, assessable competences that align with, and complement higher education learning outcomes through concrete experiential learning. Two main partnership routes are available: send students to international voluntary service projects to provide them with opportunities to test and develop their knowledge and skills in real-life situations; and/or valorise students’ and volunteers’ learning by formally recognising the C-IVS certification, providing academic credit for current and prospective students.

Two ways to partner

Send students to workcamps Short-term international workcamps (2–4 weeks) and medium or long-term placements offer structured intercultural learning that maps directly onto the C-IVS competence framework. Students return with a documented competence profile you can integrate into field learning credits, service learning programmes, or co-curricular transcripts. More than 2,500 IVS projects take place every year across 71 countries.

Recognise the certification [actively seeking partners] Formally endorse the C-IVS framework so that your students who have completed an IVS project can receive academic credit, ECTS, or validated fieldwork recognition. The framework is aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), ESCO, and the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF). We are currently seeking partner universities in Europe and Africa to join the validation steering team.

The competence framework, what students are assessed on

The tables below show the seven clusters with their corresponding competences and skills. All 29 competences are assessed through representative behavioural descriptors at three levels: Intermediate, Good, and Advanced. 

Cluster 1: Autonomy Autonomy · Resilience · Stress management · Adaptation & flexibility · Dealing with challenges

Cluster 2: Initiative Creativity & innovation · Problem solving · Responsibility

Cluster 3: Communication Active listening · Self-expression / assertiveness · Public speaking · Digital literacy · Networking

Cluster 4: Cooperation Teamwork · Coordination & conflict management · Organisation & time management · Civic engagement & activism

Cluster 5: Global understanding & citizenship Peace & human rights · Gender, diversity & inclusion · Environmental sustainability & climate justice · Decolonisation & bias awareness · Cultural heritage

Cluster 6: Intercultural awareness Intercultural awareness (individual) · Cultural openness (relational) · Empathy

Cluster 7: Cognitive competences Learning to learn · Critical thinking · Self-reflection · Confidence in oneself

What university partnership involves

1. Join the certification steering team: University representatives take part in the ongoing steering process alongside CCIVS, GloRe Network, ICYE and AJOV, reviewing competence descriptors, advising on assessment methodology, and ensuring alignment and complementarity with formal education standards.
2. Validate the framework: Provide independent academic review and formal endorsement, giving the certification credibility for students seeking credit transfer or recognition in academic and professional contexts across Europe and Africa.
3. Integrate IVS into field learning:  Work with CCIVS to design pathways where students participating in IVS workcamps can receive academic credit,  validated fieldwork, service learning hours, or ECTS, within your existing programmes.
4. Expand recognition in your country: Engage your national qualification body and become a reference point for other universities seeking to integrate non-formal learning. The project’s goal is to reach 10 additional universities through advocacy by project close in 2028.

Interested in partnering? Contact the CCIVS secretariat to discuss what a partnership could look like for your institution: secretariat@ccivs.org

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.

Hiring people who have volunteered internationally? Here is what they know how to do.

Young people who complete International Voluntary Service projects develop concrete, assessable competences such as autonomy, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, intercultural work and civic responsibility. The C-IVS certification makes those competences visible, comparable and verifiable.

Recognise volunteering as workforce ready learning

International Voluntary Service produces documented, assessable competences that align with and complement,  the skills employers need, developed through concrete experiential learning in real-life, cross-cultural situations. Two main routes are available: recruit IVS-experienced candidates whose competences are already certified and comparable; and/or support your employees to volunteer internationally, recognising the C-IVS certification as part of your professional development and corporate volunteering offer.

Three ways to partner

Recruit certified volunteers IVS participants return from short-term workcamps (2–4 weeks) or medium and long-term placements with a documented competence profile covering teamwork, communication, intercultural awareness, initiative, autonomy, global citizenship and more. The C-IVS certificate gives you a structured, comparable account of what they can do, not just a line on a CV. More than 15,000 young people take part in IVS projects across 71 countries every year.

Recognise the certification [actively seeking partners] Formally endorse the C-IVS framework within your recruitment and professional development processes so that candidates and employees who have completed an IVS project can have their competences recognised. The framework is aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), ESCO, and the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF). We are currently seeking employer partners in Europe and Africa to join the validation network and help shape how IVS competences are understood in the labour market.

Send employees to volunteer internationally International voluntary service is a proven vehicle for professional development. Short, medium and long-term placements give employees direct experience of working across cultures, managing uncertainty, building relationships in unfamiliar contexts, and contributing to community-led projects. The C-IVS competence framework means that what they gain is documented and assessable, making the investment legible within your organisation’s learning and development strategy. For organisations with corporate volunteering commitments, IVS offers a structured, quality-assured route with a global network of over 170 member organisations across 80+ countries.

What certified IVS skills look like

The tables below show the seven clusters with their corresponding competences and skills. All 29 competences are assessed through representative behavioral descriptors at three levels: Intermediate, Good, and Advanced.

Cluster 1: Autonomy Autonomy · Resilience · Stress management · Adaptation & flexibility · Dealing with challenges

Cluster 2: Initiative Creativity & innovation · Problem solving · Responsibility

Cluster 3: Communication Active listening · Self-expression / assertiveness · Public speaking · Digital literacy · Networking

Cluster 4: Cooperation Teamwork · Coordination & conflict management · Organisation & time management · Civic engagement & activism

Cluster 5: Global understanding & citizenship Peace & human rights · Gender, diversity & inclusion · Environmental sustainability & climate justice · Decolonisation & bias awareness · Cultural heritage

Cluster 6: Intercultural awareness Intercultural awareness (individual) · Cultural openness (relational) · Empathy

Cluster 7: Cognitive competences Learning to learn · Critical thinking · Self-reflection · Confidence in oneself

How to recognise the certification

Whether you are looking to recruit IVS-certified candidates, send employees to volunteer internationally, or formally recognise the certification within your organisation, we would like to hear from you. The C-IVS project is actively building its employer network ahead of the platform launch in late 2026, and early partners will have the opportunity to contribute to the validation process and help shape how IVS competences are understood in the labour market.

Certificates will be shareable via Europass, LinkedIn badges, and Youthpass, and will link to the full competence profile so you can see exactly which competences were assessed and at what level.

Contact us to discuss what engagement could look like for your organisation: secretariat@ccivs.org

Join the network of employers engaging with IVS certification. Contact: secretariat@ccivs.org

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.

Access the C-IVS certification

If you have completed an International Voluntary Service project, you can use the C-IVS system to document and certify the competences you developed. Certificates are designed to be shared via Europass, LinkedIn, Youthpass, and other platforms recognised by universities and employers.

How it works

1. Reflect on your experience: At the end of your IVS project, you will be guided through a structured self-assessment covering the 7 competence clusters. Your youth worker, project coordinator and the other volunteers will support the process.
2. Document your competences: The system uses the three-level descriptors (Intermediate, Good, Advanced) to help you accurately represent your learning.
3. Receive your certificate: Your completed profile is generated as a certificate naming the competences you developed and the level reached. It links to the full C-IVS framework so that universities and employers can verify what each competence means.
4. Share it: Download your certificate and share it via Europass, LinkedIn, or Youthpass. Your project organisation can also support you in using it in job applications or university admissions.

The C-IVS digital certification platform is currently in development and will be available from late 2026. In the meantime, contact your IVS organisation to find out how to take part in the pilot testing, or get in touch with CCIVS directly: secretariat@ccivs.org

Download the Volunteer Rights Framework!

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.