All Project Trust volunteers are required to take part in a selection course before going overseas will us. Selection is a 5-day residential course designed to test your ability to be a success overseas. We believe strongly that volunteers should not be allotted a year's placement on the basis of a short interview. So much will happen in your gap year: you will have to get used to a new culture and language, a new job and new friends. That's a lot to ask of anyone and careful selection and placing is essential. Selection is a chance for us to really get to know you and to match your individual skills to a specific country, project and partner. It is also an opportunity for you to find out more about us and the countries and projects we have available.
We want you to have the best gap year you possibly can, so we want to really get to know you and match you to the best possible project. We don't pretend that Project Trust is for everyone. Our volunteers have something to offer and selection is their chance to demonstrate that. On average, we are able to offer between 80 percent of candidates a place overseas.
We find the island of Coll an ideal place to run our courses, as it allows us to get a good idea of how you might cope in a new and different situation. We place volunteers in challenging, often tough, projects overseas - coming all the way up to Coll is just a first stage in demonstrating that commitment. We can also guarantee that you will enjoy selection. We receive a lot of letters from volunteers telling us what a great week they had on Coll.
What happens on a selection course?
- You take part in discussions
- You learn new skills
- You do practical and physical work
- You learn what projects are available and choose your country in discussion with us
- You live with a local family on Coll
- You have the opportunity to ask questions
- You get to know us and we get to know you
- You learn traditional Scottish dancing!
- You make friends for life
We are looking for volunteers who:
- are adaptable and flexible
- have a sense of humour
- have good communication skills
- are willing and able to listen
- wish to learn as well as to give
- can adapt their skills to very different situations overseas
- show sensitivity to others' views
- can cope with limited resources
- can work as part of a team
When should I book a selection course?
The sooner the better. Selection courses begin to fill up quickly and to have the widest choice of dates we recommend you return your booking form as soon as possible. We ask for a deposit of £120 to confirm your place on a selection course. You can send this by cheque or ring and pay over the telephone by credit card. This sum goes towards the cost of the course and if you are selected it counts towards your fund-raising total. Once you have been selected we will ask you to then confirm acceptance of your place overseas with a second non-refundable deposit of £100, which will also go towards your fundraising total.
Our last selection course is in the February before you go overseas.
At the end of the course an official analysis and evaluation helps you to appreciate just what you achieved during the week, your strengths and your talents, all of which help to make the course even more useful for you. | 
