Training and Workforce Development

Training plays an important part in the setting up and running of voluntary and community organisations. It provides organisations with the skills to successfully set up and ensure quality in their service delivery and their internal mechanisms.

It is crucial to include training and learning into your budget and ensure that every worker and volunteer has an individual training budget for the year. Funders will generally be happy to fund training and learning provision. Especially now that workforce development and community learning is high on the government agenda.

Likewise, when doing your Business Plan you ought to include any gaps in your team's skills and how you are going to fill those with training and recruitment. It is good practice to have a Training and Development Policy in your organisation. It is an essential aspect of obtaining a Quality Standard as seen in section 'Managing your Organisation' - 'Quality Standards'.

A model Training and Development Policy can be downloaded from Islington Voluntary Action Council's (IVAC) webpage under www.ivac.org.uk/files/downloads/resource/Training%20&%20Development%20Policy.doc

Below you will find a list of different areas of training and which providers offer a particular training.