Volunteer applications open for 2015 FINA World Championships

Volunteer movement leaders from all over Russia got the privilege of being first to fill out applications and press the symbolic 'Start!' button: they were offered the unique opportunity to do it earlier than other candidates, during the 2014 Volunteers' Academy closing ceremony in the evening of September 19. While September 20, 2014 was announced to be the official start date for the receipt of applications, from this day and until January 1, 2015 the form will be available on the official Kazan 2015 website.

Alexander Karpov, who is overseeing the implementation of the volunteer programme for the 16th FINA World Championships 2015 and the 16th FINA World Masters Championships, shared future plans on the eve of the application launch: "Throughout this year, we've been witnessing increased interest in the championships from all client groups – partners, journalists, those who were volunteers at the Summer Universiade, and those who have never volunteered, from different parts of Russia and all corners of the world. Today, when there are just hours before the start of application process, our whole team is again feeling quite thrilled – it is now that another ambitious project is being launched. The application is after all where it all begins for every volunteer, and the whole organising committee. The all-Russian team is with us again and we are confident that everything will be fine!"

The form that the candidates will be filling out to apply for volunteer positions consists of six simple steps and will take no more than half an hour to do: in addition to formal information, representatives of the Organising Committee will need to know such information as foreign language proficiency, sports of interest, preferred functional area, food preferences, clothing sizes, etc.

An interview is the next step for the candidates after completion of the application form: those wishing to participate in the FINA World Championships will have a meeting with representatives of the Organising Committee in recruitment centres. Recruitment centres will be opened in Kazan and partner regions in October. International candidates will be interviewed via Skype and telephone. The selection criteria will include knowledge of foreign languages, communication skills, stress resistance, ability to work in a team, organisational skills, proactiveness and others.

Based on interview results, the volunteer team will be formed in the spring of 2015. The shortlisted candidates will attend a training course, following which they will receive an accreditation badge and uniform. In the second half of July, the delegation of volunteers from other cities and abroad will arrive in the capital of Tatarstan and be fully ready to take up their duties prior to the event.

The Kazan 2015 volunteer programme will be implemented on federal and international levels: apart from Kazan and Tatarstan volunteers, the 2,500-strong team will include young people from regions of Russia and abroad. A pool of non-profit partners was drawn up by June 2014. It features 11 higher education institutions of Tatarstan and 26 ministries and departments from 20 regions of Russia. 

Press Department of Executive Directorate for Sports Projecs