Kazan 2015 volunteer team formed

It took volunteer managers a little more than one month to form teams for the designated Championships venues: interviews with candidates concluded on March 1 and the selection events and assignment to volunteer positions have been held throughout April. As a result, out of 23,927 applicants, only most motivated and competent candidates who have a working knowledge of English and other foreign languages were eventually selected to work as volunteers during the upcoming competitions. 

In late April-early May, the successful candidates received job offers with a full description of responsibilities and a suggested work schedule. If the candidates were happy with a proposed position, they accepted the offer at their personal account on the official Kazan 2015 website. Those who were chosen as reserves for the volunteer team, were notified by email. The reserve pool amounting to around 10% of the OC's total demand will be of help in the event of sudden withdrawals of main candidates in the lead-up to or during the sporting event. The candidates who were not lucky enough to be selected for volunteer positions also received emails thanking them for their interest in the FINA World Championships and Kazan 2015 volunteer programme. 

The next stage of the volunteer recruitment process will feature the training programme that will be implemented step by step starting in May 2015. City volunteer team leaders, venue team leaders and functional area team leaders will be first to embark on the educational programme while regional and internaitonal volunteers will be last to take up their training upon their arrival in Kazan on July 18-19. The educational programme will include two parts: general training and role- and venue-specific training. During the first part, volunteer managers will deliver a general presentation of the forthcoming sporting event and its competition schedule, provide information on the sports and non-sports venues used during the Championships, key client groups and services rendered to them, etc. The second part of the programme will see functional area managers meet with the volunteers assigned to them and brief them on the mission of the functional area and the tasks they will need to complete during the Championships. As part of their venue-specific training, the volunteers will undergo an initial workplace induction, become acquainted with key areas at the venues they will be assigned to and also will learn where dining places, locker rooms and volunteer lounge areas will be located. A series of special courses will be hosted by the Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Republic of Tatarstan for the team of team leaders. Plus, the volunteers will take part in the awareness-raising project, titled 'Swim Smooth!', designed to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, physical training, sports and importance of preventing socially sensitive diseases among those involved in the preparation and delivery of the 16th FINA World Championships 2015. 

It should be noted that the Kazan 2015 volunteer training programme will wrap up with the participation of the selected volunteers in test competitions and events held ahead of the Championships. These 'rehearsals' will be the perfect opportunity for volunteers to test their skills and for the volunteer managers to get to know the team they are going to work with during the upcoming FINA World Championships in Kazan.