Tokyo 2020 Volunteer Program Needs Publicity Survey Says

(ATR Japan) An ATR Japan survey shows only about a quarter of Japanese students understand the requirements to be a Tokyo 2020 volunteer.

ATR Japan held a "Consciousness Survey on Volunteering for Tokyo Olympic Games" from November 2-4 at the College Festival of Meiji University (Suginami Ward, Tokyo). A total of 473 students from high schools, universities and vocational schools took part in the survey.

The average percentage of choosing the correct answer in each of the three quizzes was just 26 percent, making it clear that few students correctly understand either the requirements to become a Tokyo 2020 volunteer or what the duties of the position entail.

Respondents were given a series of questions on topics including "English ability required for recruitment", "minimum number of days participating", and "supplies provided for the volunteer". The answers to these and many other questions are clarified in the leaflet and application for the volunteers published by the Tokyo Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

But 80 percent of the respondents had misunderstood that it required English skills in all areas even though there are some positions that do not need English speakers.

In addition, only 30 percent of the people knew that they were to be paid for the uniforms, meals, insurance, and transportation fee to a certain extent.

The brochure explained nine types of areas for volunteers to serve: "information", "competition", "movement support (driving)," "attendant", "operation support", "health care", "technology", "media" and "Ceremony".

When asked for multiple responses to "What kind of activities do you think volunteers do?", 75.5 percent of respondents knew that "information" was guiding the audience and stakeholders at the venue while only 12.9 percent knew about "media" activities such as helping to prepare for a press conference.

In response to "What kind of initiatives do you think are effective for encouraging participation in sports volunteer activities across Japan for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games?", the highestpercentage of respondents, at 35.9 percent, answered "We fully advertise information of groups and necessary procedures to be recruited".

That was followed by "To make it easier to apply for the volunteer" at 32.5 percent and "To make it easier to take breaks (paid or unpaid) in order to participate in volunteering" at 31.9 percent.

ATR Japan believes the survey shows the understanding of students is not advanced and that the information on volunteers is not sufficiently publicized.

In addition, the results of the survey were compared with the "Opinion poll on the Tokyo Olympics Games and the Paralympic Games" conducted by the Cabinet Office on June 2015.

In response to the question "Do you know that many people are participating as volunteers, for the management of international games?",73.4 percent responded that they "know".

On the other hand, according to a survey by the Cabinet Office, only 24.8 percent of the people aged 20 to 29 "knew" the objective. That's almost the same age group as the ATR Japan survey.

A total of 49 percent of the people responded that "they would like to participate" or "I would like to participate if possible," as an Olympic Games volunteer, while 36 percent answered "I do not want to participate" or "I do not want to participate if possible".

The results of the new survey and the Cabinet Office's survey, which are largely different, are due to publicity activities during the past three and a half years.

The organizing committee has announced that they had exceeded the target of 80,000 volunteers so far, and 81,035 people completed entry by November 20.

However, there are a certain number of negative opinions about the Olympic volunteer effort that came up in meetings in October.

Among the complaints were "I am considering participation of volunteers, but there are many things that I do not know with the information posted on the website of the Olympic organization committee" and "Olympic volunteers are as varied as unpaid labor. Olympic volunteers are challenging exploitation."

It is necessary to take into account these voices and correctly disclose the reality of the volunteer program.

Even though the explanatory sessions of the event volunteers have been held at venues throughout the country, further detailed explanation of the contents will be required in the future.

The organizing committee has extended the original deadline to volunteer from early December to December 21.

Written by Yukino Oumi and Ryota Yoshizaki

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