Training for staff and volunteers is an important consideration for any organisation. For some roles, training is essential but it can also motivate volunteers and help them to achieve and maintain satisfaction in their role. If you or your volunteers need formal training, this can be a great way to boost skills, while gaining recognised qualifications.
Types of training
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.
Training providers
There are a number of providers that deliver a range of non-accredited and accredited training opportunities. You can find courses through:
- Our Community - provides advice, connections, training and easy-to-use tech tools for people and organisations working to build stronger communities.
- Volunteering SA&NT - provides customised training for volunteers, volunteer managers and the not for profit sector, specialising in skill development for both volunteers and volunteer managers, and offering training on governance, rights and responsibilities for boards and committees.
- Northern Volunteering and Southern Volunteering offer a range of training opportunities for potential and current volunteers, organisations, volunteer managers and coordinators.
- TAFE SA - offers courses to suit different skill levels.
- South Australian Skills Gateway - explore your training options, including subsidised training opportunities.
If your organisation delivers training to volunteers or would like to deliver training, the South Australian Skills Gateway website contains useful information about delivery of training in South Australia and government subsidies.
Recognition of prior learning
Training courses can be used by community organisations to enhance the skills of their volunteers, or as a pathway to gain formal recognition of prior learning when delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Volunteers who participate in recognition of prior learning processes can gain credit towards further studies in volunteer management at the tertiary level. Please note that most RTOs will charge a fee to deliver this training.
Resources
A number of resources are available for organisations to use for training purposes. This includes materials for organisations to run their own workshops, as well as an online cultural awareness training course.
Cultural Awareness in Volunteering Programs workshop
This workshop is for staff and volunteers within the organisation. Download the workshop materials:
- Invitation template: Cultural Awareness in Volunteering (462.5 KB DOC)
- Adaptation checklist: Cultural Awareness in Volunteering (465.5 KB DOC)
- Run sheet: Cultural Awareness in Volunteering (467.0 KB DOC)
- Facilitation process: Cultural Awareness in Volunteering (500.0 KB DOC)
- Workshop presentation: Cultural Awareness in Volunteering (3.3 MB PPT)
- Feedback and evaluation sheet: Cultural Awareness in Volunteering (472.5 KB DOC)
Volunteering in Australia workshop
This workshop is for individuals and communities who are recent arrivals to Australia. Download the workshop materials:
- Invitation template: Volunteering in Australia (463.5 KB DOC)
- Adaptation checklist: Volunteering in Australia (471.0 KB DOC)
- Run sheet: Volunteering in Australia (469.0 KB DOC)
- Facilitation process: Volunteering in Australia (522.5 KB DOC)
- Workshop presentation: Volunteering in Australia (3.2 MB PPT)
- Feedback and evaluation sheet: Volunteering in Australia (472.5 KB DOC)
Free online cultural awareness training
The Office for Volunteers has a free online cultural awareness training module for community organisations and volunteers, comprising a Training facilitator manual (896.2 KB PDF) complete with PowerPoint slides and participant handouts. The module includes two introductory cultural training workshops.
Support programs
Many organisations provide support programs to assist community groups in the important work they do.
Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing
The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORS) is the lead agency for the Government's policy on sport and active recreation. ORS works with State sport and recreation groups and clubs to improve the quality and availability of sport and active recreation across the South Australian community.
Accredited quality improvement program
The Australian Service Excellence Standards program is an internationally accredited quality improvement program run by the Department of Human Services for the Health and Community Services sector. It helps groups to improve their business systems, management practices and service delivery. You can find a range of free online resources to help your group establish a strategic framework for its business.
To find out more, phone 8413 9036 or email serviceexcellence@sa.gov.au.
