Volunteer Edinburgh: Core Skills in Volunteer Management course now available online

Volunteer Edinburgh’s popular Core Skills in Volunteer Management course is now fully accessible to you and we are pleased to say that we are now able to offer it online. 

Delivered over four weeks using a mixture of self-study, online forum-based discussions and Zoom, our online CSVM gives you a fantastic professional development opportunity in a totally flexible way.

CSVM 1: Involvement and Recruitment

  • Week 1: Involvement (from Monday 13 until Friday 17 September)
  • Week 2: Recruitment (from Monday 20 until Friday 24 September)

CSVM 2: Support, Supervision and Training

  • Week 1: Support and supervision (from Monday 4 until Friday 8 October)
  • Week 2: Training (from Monday 11 to Friday 15 October)

Flexible Learning

Each week will require approximately 3.5 hours of study time, most of which can be done flexibly to suit you, but you are required to attend a weekly Zoom session on Friday. You can participate in the course at any time between Monday and Friday.

What does the course cover?

CSVM 1: Involvement and Recruitment

  • Benefits of working with volunteers;
  • Motivations, expectations, needs;
  • Formal structures: volunteer policy, volunteer agreements, role descriptions;
  • Recruitment strategy and methods; and
  • Selection.

CSVM 2: Support, Supervision and Training

  • Support and supervision;
  • Challenges that can arise when you manage volunteers;
  • Practical preventions and solutions;
  • Learning needs assessment;
  • Training methodologies; and
  • Learning plan design.

What is the methodology?
The course consists of several activities including self-study (reading) and forum discussions all of which can be done at your own pace on the Volunteer Edinburgh Academy.

There is also a weekly 1.5 hour, facilitated Zoom session each Friday to enable you to connect with other learners, reflect on your practice and learning, and share discussions.

You will be able to select a time slot for the Zoom session that suits you best (9.30am, 11.30am or 2pm); we will have a maximum of six participants in each slot.

The estimated time required for each week:

  • Reading and interactive presentations: 0.5h (Volunteer Edinburgh Academy)
  • Forum discussion participation and activities: 1.5h (Volunteer Edinburgh Academy)
  • Discussion: 1.5h (Zoom)

What do participants say?

Overall, what do you think about the training? 

  • I might choose this format of course in future, in preference to classroom-based learning as I enjoyed taking the sessions at my own pace, and being able to reflect on the materials as the week went along. I don’t think I would have got as much out of 3.5 hours in the classroom.  
  • I was incredibly impressed by Javier’s enthusiasm during the zoom, and in forum talks and any email communication. The content he has prepared was well thought out, varied, detailed and nuanced. There is plenty of extra material to dig into too! 
  • I thought the materials were relevant and comprehensive, the design of the online course very accessible. I felt that Javier was there from Day 1 really supporting my learning 

Would you recommend this course? 

  • Yes definitely. It was comprehensive, a good mix of different mediums of learning (reading, activities, peer-to-peer, discussions) 
  • Definitely! I would say if you’re new to supervising volunteers then this is a very informative and supportive course. 
  • Yes definitely. It seems to cover everything we need to know and it makes you think, it’s not all spoon-fed 
  • I would recommend the training to anyone intending to work with volunteers, and wanting to prepare themselves. 
  • Yes. I think it covers a lot of ground and can be accessed by a wide variety of people and organisations. 
  • Yes If you are looking to start a volunteer service its a great foundation of providing the best involvement and recruitment process for volunteers

If you would like to participate you can book it on our website.

If you have any questions please contact training@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk.

Javier Tejera

Learning and Quality Officer, Volunteer Edinburgh

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