GOIANIA – On 17 October, the Brazilian University Sports Confederation (CBDU) prepared its first group of volunteers for major events. The day was dedicated to the training of 300 volunteers, in the Excellence Center of Sport, in Goiânia. A group formed by the CBDU Volunteers Academy will debut at the Brazilian University Games (JUBs), which begin this Thursday 19 October and last until the 29th.
CBDU President Cabral
The volunteers were greeted by CBDU president Luciano Cabral, who gave a speech on the largest multi-sport university event in Latin America. “We do not just want to select people to work with, we want to impact on the lives of the volunteers and all those who are involved during the JUBs. The volunteering programme is very important for this event”, Luciano Cabral said.
From Volunteering to Employment
During the training session, three CBDU employees, who started their careers through the CBDU volunteering programme, shared their experiences. Physical Educators, Elvis Silva, 27, and Fernanda de Paula, 25, were volunteers at the shuttle department during the JUBs 2015. The good performance by both of them opened the door for an invitation to work at CBDU.
The same happened with physiotherapist Aristides Rodolfo de Melo, 39, who was a volunteer during the JUBs 2014. The following year, he was hired by CBDU to join the medical department, composed of 11 other physiotherapists, three physicians and two massage therapists.
“I was a volleyball athlete and when I graduated in physiotherapy, I looked for volunteer work at JUBs, looking for experience in the sports field”, remembers Aristides. “I was very happy to be invited to work at the CBDU and, over the last three years, I gained even more experience. I did not imagine volunteering and, in such a short time, I had the chance to work in two Universiades (Gwangju and Taipei).”
The example of Aristides, Elvis and Fernanda encourages the new classes of volunteers. This is the case for Leandra Leonel, 22 years old. The physiotherapist student left her hometown to dedicate herself as a volunteer during the 11 days of JUBs 2017. “It’s my first time in JUBs, and the first one as a volunteer as well, an excellent opportunity to gain experience and a lot of knowledge. I’m a bit nervous and anxious to start the games”, said Leandra.
Among more than 1,000 participants in the volunteering recruitment process of the JUBs Volunteer Programme, 300 were approved and qualified through lectures and dynamics in the technical, health, shuttle, tourism, lodging, law and communication areas.
“We promote integration work among the volunteers, games and lectures to train them and show how big this sport event is”, says Paula Leal Vasconcelos, coordinator of the CBDU Volunteer Programme.
(Source: CBDU)