Alexandre Morenon assures us: the 45,000 volunteers of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will “live the experience of a lifetime”. The deputy director of volunteers for the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee (Cojop) presented, on Monday 17 October, a program “Which wants to be open to all”. Only three conditions are necessary to apply: be at least 18 years old on 1er January 2024, speak either French or English, and be mobilized for at least ten days during the Olympic Games or the Paralympics.
“The objective is to have a representativeness of the French territory, even if we will also welcome international volunteers, he explains. We therefore want to have as many men as women, as well as people with disabilities. »
Anyone wishing to become a volunteer will be able to apply on a platform from March 2023, for six weeks. They will then have to fill out a questionnaire on their motivations and their personality, which will indicate to them the missions that best suit them according to their answers. “The majority of missions do not require skills”says Alexandre Morenon.
Above all, there will be something for everyone since 60% of these missions will be at the service of “the quality of the lived experience”, a third in the service of sports performance and 5% will consist of supporting and facilitating the organization. To this team of 45,000 volunteers (30,000 for the Olympic Games and 15,000 for the Paralympics), will be added 5,000 volunteers selected by the City of Paris, which will run its own volunteer program.
Potential candidates already identified
The partners of Paris 2024, the French sports federations, the host communities and the communities labeled Terre de Jeux 2024 have already identified a certain number of potential candidates, who will be able to apply from January 2023.
This is the case of Seine-Saint-Denis, which created the platform ” All volunteers »in particular to encourage young people to embark on the adventure. “Fifteen percent of applicants are students, 40% are between 16 and 30 years old and around fifty people with disabilities have been identified by the reception structures.rejoices Mélanie Morgeau, deputy director of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games delegation to the departmental council. The platform offers them training, volunteer missions so that they prepare and get into the dynamics. »
Another example from the side of the French Table Tennis Federation (FFTT). The focus was on people from the sports movement: “We involved all of our local structures to mobilize the licensees who would like to be volunteers, explains Mickaël Mevellec, national technical advisor to the FFTT. We want to encourage those who are very involved in their sports practice. »
When they have been selected – in principle by the fall of 2023 – the 45,000 volunteers – including nearly 3,000 people with disabilities, the Cojop hopes – will follow online and face-to-face training. Although Paris 2024 has taken out accident insurance to cover those who are not insured, the organization will not cover accommodation and transport for those coming from remote regions.
Faced with criticism of the fact of calling on volunteers rather than hiring employees for the missions requested, Alexandre Morenon also explained that he had established ” a chart “, in consultation with the State services concerned. “We worked together for months to define the missions that were paid work and those that were voluntary, and which could therefore be entrusted to volunteers”he justified himself.