RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Rio 2016 Olympic Games organisers on Thursday launched their bid to recruit 70,000 volunteers for the first Games to be held in South America.

Organisers opened a registration process running to November 15 for would-be helpers aged 18 and above via the www.rio2016.com website, dubbing volunteers “the soul” of the Games.

The volunteer programme will see 45,000 candidates selected for the Games and 25,000 more for the Paralympics thereafter.

Some 500,000 volunteers gave their services over the past 10 Summer Games.

Those chosen will have access to online English learning and specific training depending on the tasks they are assigned, including customer and health services, transport, media assistance and technology services provision.

Some of the positions require specialist skills — organisers highlighted a need for speakers of the Ethiopian language Amharic, while stressing that a multitude of opportunities are also available for those with an impairment.

Following registration, the interview process for Brazilian nationals and foreigners will start next February. On-site and online training will then commence for successful applicants in November 2015 and run to May 2016.

Those selected will comprise a third of the overall workforce for the Games, which open on August 5, 2016, and the Paralympics the following month.

“The Volunteer Programme of the Rio 2016 Games will reflect Brazilian diversity; of talents, cultures, ages and interests,” said organising committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman.

“All this diversity will be added to the other thousands of people who will come to Brazil for a greater goal, to participate in the realisation of the largest multi-sport event in the world with excellence, passion and joy, for the first time in Brazil.”

Several Brazilian athletes, including swimming champion Cesar Cielo, are starring in videos and webspots to promote the push for volunteer workers.