Recent changes in the Government’s skills development programme, Train to Gain, have meant that for the first time, paid workers and volunteers in voluntary organisations can be 100% funded to obtain qualifications which will help them do more for their organisation or charity, as well as gaining valuable skills which may help them in their work, home and social life.
I.T. skills, team leading, business administration and
customer service are just 4 of hundreds of qualifications on offer to
volunteers, and as long as your voluntary organisation confirms you ‘work’ for
them, you’ve lived in the European Union for more than 3 years, and you don’t
already have 5 good GCSEs or more, you should be eligible to undertake an NVQ
at no cost to your ‘employer’.
Even if you do have 5 or more GCSEs – even A levels or a
degree, your organisation may be
eligible for 2/3rd funding or more, of an NVQ, so if there’s a
qualification you or your organisation feel would help you be a more effective
‘worker”, you can contact us to find out if you are eligible.
NVQs have changed from the old days when you wrote pages and
pages on what you did in your work. Much of the evidence produced now, which
demonstrates how competent you are at your work, and identifies the areas where
you would benefit from guided learning, is done by an assessor simply noting
what you do, talking to you about how you would deal with different situations
which might occur in your voluntary work, and using that to help you ‘fill in
the gaps’ in your knowledge.
Most of this can be done while you’re doing your ‘work’, and
the whole NVQ can be completed in around 20 hours over a 4 – 6 month period. If
you haven’t studied since you left school, if you didn’t enjoy learning at
school, or if you think you might need a bit of help with writing about your
work, don’t let this stop you – there are hundreds of thousands of people in
the same situation who have been helped by experienced, qualified assessors who
have been working with NVQ students like you for years.
A better understanding of bookkeeping, dealing with the
public, using a computer, working with a team of volunteers, handling forms and
paperwork, and lots of more specialised skills like youth work, construction
skills, giving advice and guidance, health & social care, hospitality and
catering, warehousing and retail – you can get a qualification and learn more
about these areas of work.
To find out more, contact;
Nicky James on 01582 522332 to ask for a skills adviser to
contact your voluntary organisation and answer your questions, or e-mail Nicky
on n.james@ttgbroker.com