Other ways to meet training needs
E-learning
E-learning packages are now being developed for subject areas specific to voluntary sector skills. The following are some examples:
Basic Child abuse and Neglect E-learning package
Fit 4 Funding have a number of funding related e-learning packages
Trustee E-learning, for Trustees and Management Committee Members
Click here to access the website
Guided Reading
We learn an awful lot by just reading from various sources, but particularly the internet. If you need a way to learn new knowledge, this fits in well around your other commitments. The links page has a number of websites that have information on voluntary sector knowledge and skills.
Learning On the Job
Think about when you started you current job, and how much you knew compared to what you know now. That's an incredible amount of knowledge you've gained and skills you've developed. Now think about how you have learned that knowledge and skills - most of it you learned by doing, asking questions, observing other people and probably making a few mistakes along the way. Don't undervalue this method of learning. It doesn't cost anything, it easy to fit in around your commitments and you're learning things within your work context, which makes it a very effective way of learning.
Peer learning / Action Learning / Study Groups
Do you have colleagues in your organisation or partner organisations that do a similar job to you? Can you get together with them to learn and share ideas in a semi-structured way?
Here's a case study of how staff at Bradford CVS have used this method to develop their knowledge. A number of Bradford CVS staff attended a one day training course on 'Advising groups on legal structures and charitable status.' It was a really useful day, but there was a lot of complex information. To reinforce what staff had learned on the day, they met a few weeks later for two hours, to discuss each part of the training and ask questions of their colleagues about things they were insure of or just wanted to check out. This process reinforced their learning, gave them an opportunity to ask questions in a supportive environment and made sure that everyone understood things in the same way. This meant the advice and information they were then giving to organisations was consistent and of good quality.
Work shadowing
This is commonly used as a training method for new staff in post, but is also very valuable for other staff to learn new skills or new ways of doing things. You can shadow a colleague within your own organisation or another organisation. However, a word of caution - Make sure that by shadowing someone you are shadowing good practice and understand why people are doing things in a certain way. You don't want to pick up other peoples bad habits.
More Ideas
For more ideas about alternative ways of learning look at the National Workplace Learning Network Website
www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/workplacelearningnetwork