From Undefined to Self-Aware: The Transformative Journey of Universal Civil Service Volunteers

Abstract

This paper presents the outcomes of a training course conducted with Universal Civil Service volunteers involved in the "Support, Assist, and Include" project at the University of Naples “Federico II”. Since 2014, the Centro SInAPSi at the University has annually engaged 50 volunteers in a year-long initiative designed to promote the inclusion of all students across its various services. Central to this initiative is a training program that introduces volunteers to the concept of employability, a key component of the European employment strategy, which emphasizes the importance of being employable, actively seeking work, maintaining employment, and adapting to changing occupational demands. The training program employs narrative techniques to cultivate reflective and self-reflective competencies among volunteers, focusing particularly on the development of the Self. The program encompasses lifelong learning, personal formation, and the enhancement of life and soft skills to navigate resistance to change, build resilience, and integrate non-rational forms of knowledge. Autobiographical narrative exercises are a core component of the training, enabling volunteers to assess their competencies in relation to their roles within the Centre’s various operational sections, including the Training Success, Employability Promotion, Disability and DSA, and Anti-Discrimination and Culture of Difference sections. The primary objective of the course is to facilitate volunteers’ self-recognition, assessment, and promotion of their resources, thereby enriching their Civil Service experience. The course is structured around three key sessions. The first session (T0), titled "The Beginnings... When I started my Civil Service experience, I thought, I felt...", encourages volunteers to reflect on their initial expectations and emotions as they embarked on this journey. The second session (T1), "In the Middle... Insights and Resources," allows participants to explore self-discovery and identify both strengths and challenges encountered during the training. The final session (T2), "The End... Transcending Limits," invites volunteers to reflect on their growth, concluding with the prompt, "At the end of the Civil Service experience, I have become, I feel...". This reflective journey highlights how participants transcend personal and social limitations, gaining deeper awareness of their involvement in both individual evolution and the understanding of broader social dynamics. The experiences of these young volunteers underscore the significant value of training activities grounded in narrative methodologies. The freedom and possibilities offered by this approach allow for a holistic re-interpretation and re-signification of their experiences, fostering a more mature, open, and profound understanding of their personal and professional development.