Education volunteer - Helping refugees find meaningful employment

Education volunteer

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As an education volunteer, you will be joining our education programme and providing English speaking, reading and writing support, as well as helping refugees prepare for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam in Birmingham, Greater Manchester or London.

Contact [email protected] for more information, otherwise visit our FAQ page.

I have taught Beginner, Intermediate, Conversation and 1 to 1 classes at Breaking Barriers. I enjoy the variety and I am continuously amazed at the spirit in which the students come to class.

Renee - volunteer English teacher

Our courses

  • Courses include: English for Work (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), Business English, IELTS, Conversation Café and bespoke one-to-one classes  
  • Class sizes are small, around 8-10 students  
  • We can provide curriculum outlines, although these will often need to be adapted to suit students’ needs 

Requirements 

  • TEFL/CELTA or teaching degree
  • Courses take place in Birmingham, Greater Manchester and London, and online via Zoom

Commitment

  • Courses can take place during the day or on weekday evenings depending on teacher availability  
  • Face-to-face classes are usually 2.5 hours long
  • Online classes are usually 1.5 hours long
  • Courses last between 4-8 weeks  
  • Depending on experience, volunteers can start as a teaching assistant before leading their own course.  

Other roles 

  • Curriculum development: we are always looking for volunteers to help develop our lesson plans and courses  
  • Ad-hoc support: this may involve feedback on academic writing, support with IELTS mocks and running one-off workshops 

Benefits of Volunteering

  • Provide refugees with essential skills, supporting them to integrate into their communities and find work or access further study  
  • Gain experience delivering English language courses, including IELTS, at a range of levels  
  • Take ownership of your own course, with the opportunity to write your own curriculum and develop new courses  
  • Comprehensive induction, including safeguarding training
  • Meet other like-minded volunteers  
  • Access to lesson plans and sector resources provided by Breaking Barriers where needed  

Hello friend!

Would you like to join our education volunteers?

Apply now

Meet our volunteers

Meet our volunteers

Emma

Emma has been using her knowledge as a lawyer to help refugees break into the legal sector.

Meet our volunteers

Eiman

Eiman is a English and Arabic translator/interpreter that's been volunteering for Breaking Barriers since November 2022. In her spotlight, Eiman will be sharing her experience of volunteering, as well as one of her highlights at Breaking Barriers.

Meet our volunteers

Renee

Renee has been volunteering with Breaking Barriers on our education programme as an English teacher.

Meet our volunteers

Sabrina

Sabrina is an advice and guidance volunteer, who began supporting clients in London in 2019 and has recently been supporting BB with regional expansion by delivering 1:1 employment support to new clients in Birmingham.

Meet our volunteers

Stefano

Stefano is an advice and guidance volunteer whose background in lecturing has supported refugees into further education and employment.

Have more questions?

We have a dedicated page to help answer any questions you might about volunteering in Birmingham, Greater Manchester, or London. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please contact [email protected].

Volunteering FAQs