Beijing offers targeted, systematic training for Beijing 2022 volunteers, tests capabilities during test events

More than 1 million people applied to serve as volunteers during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games and nearly 20,000 were selected. What has been done to train the volunteers in preparation for the upcoming games?

The last ice hockey competition during the “Experience Beijing” ice hockey test event is underway at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, Nov. 13, 2021. Thanks to the services offered by volunteers and staff members, the test event proceeded smoothly. (People’s Daily/Zhang Wujun)

In its bid to cultivate professional volunteers for the games, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) launched a systematic and scientifically-devised training program, having offered 23 compulsory courses on basic knowledge about the games, traffic rules and volunteer services, as well as some other selective courses.

From Nov. 7 to 10, the “Experience Beijing” ice hockey test event was held at the Wukesong Ice Sports Center in Beijing, which will serve as the venue for ice hockey competitions during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The event also tested the abilities of the volunteers who will serve the sporting competitions.

Cheng Zihang, a volunteer from the University of Science and Technology Beijing was present during the ice hockey test event. Before the test event was officially kicked off, Cheng had completed all 23 compulsory courses. “I was not a sports enthusiast, and after finishing the courses, which were well-designed and sporting events-oriented, I’m now able to offer consultation services and handle emergencies,” said Cheng.

“The volunteers were allowed to move onto the next stage of training on the premise that they completed the online courses and passed the respective examinations,” said Teng Shengping, director of the BOCOG’s volunteer department. They also received general training and expertise training, and learned information about the venue and their job responsibilities, said Teng, adding that during the training sessions, they would evaluate the performance of the volunteers to make sure the training sessions were efficient.

To offer high-quality training, universities and competition venues have organized various activities with the aim of improving volunteers’ expertise, practical skills and ability to serve the events. Through a campaign based on knowledge competitions and skills contests, activities that were jointly organized by the BOCOG’s volunteer department, along with the Beijing municipal committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the Hebei provincial committee of the Communist Youth League of China, a new craze for learning knowledge about snow and ice sports took hold at universities in Beijing and Hebei province.

In October, the World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2021 was held at the National Aquatics Center. Together, 51 volunteers from the Beijing Technology and Business University were able to quickly adapt to their new roles as staff members on scene at the venue, conducting personnel management, and offering technical or transportation support as needed.