On this page you will find information about:
Formal training
Training modules
Templates
Computer support
Fact sheets
Support programs
Formal training
If you, or members of your organisation would like formal training, this can be a great way to boost your skills, while gaining recognised qualifications.
Some of the types of training available include:
- best practice in volunteer management
- grants and fundraising
- boards, governance and leadership
- finance, insurance and risk management
- people management
- strategic planning, review and revitalisation
- community engagement and advocacy
- information technology
- marketing and media
- communication and team building.
There are a number providers that deliver a range of formal training opportunities. You can find courses through:
- Volunteering Australia - has developed accredited qualifications for managers of volunteers and offers free resources to assist organisations with training
- Volunteer Resource Centres - offer training to support volunteer managers and coordinators in their day-to-day roles and for ongoing professional development
- TAFE SA - offers courses to suit different skill levels.
Free training programs for the volunteer sector that are delivered through partner organisations.
Contact these organisations for more information.
If your organisation delivers training to volunteers, or would like to deliver training, the Department for Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology provides a guide for education and training
service providers in South Australia.
For more information see the
Induction and training page on this site.
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Training modules
The
Service Excellence Program (SEP) is an internationally accredited quality improvement program funded by the Department for Families and Communities. Community organisations can find a range of free online resources that will help them to establish a strategic framework for their organisation.
Whilst organisations do not need to undertake accreditation to use these resources, an accreditation process is available that will allow your organisation to be recognised as having proper systems and processes and providing a high level of service to your community. If you choose to go through the accreditation process, a range of support is also available.
You can access nationally accredited training courses and course materials including trainer and learner guides through the
Office for Volunteers in partnership with
Volunteering SA & NT and
TAFE SA.
The courses can be used by community organisations to enhance the skills of their volunteers, or as a pathway to gain formal recognition of learning when delivered by a
Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Volunteers who participate in recognition of learning processes can gain credit towards further studies in Volunteer Management at the tertiary level. Please note that most RTO’s will charge a fee to deliver this training.
The following modules are available as free downloads:
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Templates
Using templates can give you a head start on the types of documentation you may use. Most of these resources are available as free downloads.
The Office for Volunteers provides free toolkits and templates to assist community organisations and volunteers. Resources include:
The Department for Families and Communities has developed
policies for working with volunteers and the following
documents that can help volunteer organisations set up their own policies:
- Volunteer information book
- Volunteer operational guidelines
- Charter of mutual obligation
Volunteering Australia provides a range of templates and toolkits to help not-for-profit organisations that are involved with volunteers.
A
template package is available for download and includes:
- volunteer contact details form
- confidentiality agreement
- volunteer out-of-pocket expenses - mileage claim form
- volunteer reimbursement claim form
- volunteer incident report form.
The following toolkits are also available for download.
The Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators provides resource kits that contain
templates and checklists to help your organisation manage volunteers. Topics include:
- how to design a job, and advertising the job
- position or job description and personal specifications
- recruitment and selection
- appointment and induction
- written warnings and reprimands
- negotiation.
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Computer support
There is help available for not-for-profit organisations to access free or low cost computers, software and training. Contact the following programs for more information:
- The Smart State PC Donation Program - was established to provide recycled computers to non-profit and charitable South Australian organisations
- DonorTec- provides donated and discounted technology products and services to eligible income tax exempt (ITE) Australian non-profit groups
- ITShare SA Inc - is a not-for-profit organisation that provides low-cost computer systems to low income groups, individuals and communities
- WorkVentures Connect - provides ex-corporate and government computers to not-for-profit organisations around Australia
- Business to Community Recyclers - supplies low-cost computers to not-for-profit organisations.
Fact sheets
A range of
fact sheets can be found on the Office for Volunteers website. These include:
- risk management
- implementing a disputes resolution policy
- recognising your volunteers
- solving volunteer workplace disputes
- engaging people with disabilities in volunteering
- free police checks for volunteers
- media guide for the volunteer sector
- sponsorship guide
- group Insurance for the volunteer community
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Support programs
Support programs, designed to assist community organisations in the important work they do are provided by the Office for Volunteers. These programs include:
- Volunteer partnership– provides access to resources at more than 90 South Australian government offices, hospitals, health services, libraries, schools and ambulance stations have agreed to share their facilities and resources with local volunteer groups across the state as part of volunteer partnership - accessing resources. Resources range from meeting rooms, kitchens and car parks to equipment such as photocopiers, data projectors and white boards.
- Corporates4Communitiesis a corporate volunteering program, run in collaboration with Heta Incorporated. This program matches volunteers from business or government with community organisations requiring particular skills.
- Community voices- Community organisations can gain access to the skills of students from the Screen Studies Department at Flinders University for promotion and marketing purposes, through the Community Voices grant program.
- Sustainable Online Community Engagement - offers help to community organisations with limited online skills to develop websites and other on-line applications.