Training and Skills Expert

There is a bewildering array of training courses and awareness events relating (sometimes vaguely) to community groups and voluntary organisations.

Some will be more relevant than others and some willl be good value for money, and others perhaps less so.

We are unable to present a catalogue of specific courses at present due to the difficulty in quality checking courses - we are unable to endorse any one course over another.

In the near future we will be able to offer a more useful service, but at present we are providing a list of simple do-s and don't-s.

Essential Do-s and Don'ts

• DO create a training plan for your organisation. Consider what skills your officers, workers and others need. Ideally review your available in-house skills and any gaps that you may have on a periodic basis
• DO prioritise your needs so that the most critical skills are addressed first
• DO consider what requirements others may place on you (for example local authorities) in terms of legal, financial, health and safety or child protection standards
• DON'T succumb to marketing of training and skills providers and pressure selling
• DO shop around for the best value for money (consider that some events and even training may be free of charge to community groups)
• DO make sure that knowledge gained by attending courses or events are disseminated widely within your organisation so that the maximum benefit is achieved
• DO monitor the effectiveness of money spent on training so that in future your funds are used efficiently
• DO keep records of all the training courses and events that your officers, staff and volunteers attend - this may be useful information when applying for future funding, to demonstrate your organisational competence and to show that you are committed to improving the service that you provide
• Finally - DONT assume that training does not apply to your community or voluntary group. Funders and local authorities in particular are becoming more and more interested in dealing with well organised and run community and voluntary organisations, and potentially selective as to who they deal with.