The voluntary and community sector is an important employer in Northern Ireland, with an estimated 44,703 employees. This figure represents 5.3% of the total Northern Ireland workforce. The workforce is made up of people from a wide range of backgrounds and professions, such as: social workers, nurses, community development workers, trainers, lawyers, health professionals, etc. Career and skills development are essential for this workforce and indeed for the success and impact of what their organisations achieve. 

NICVA’s Response

The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) provides training and development opportunities for staff, volunteers and board members in the sector to build capacity and help organisations become more resilient and robust. For some it is about learning the generic management and leadership skills as they have recently moved into a management role, for others it is about the practical skills of fundraising and lobbying.

We need to invest in our people and provide opportunities for career development in order to retain talented staff and provide a high-quality service to the people and communities we serve.

Career development takes many forms for those employed in the sector and can be achieved through accredited and non-accredited courses, work shadowing, coaching and mentoring and online learning. However, some may find it difficult to access opportunities due to lack of finances, workload, small staff teams, lack of time and limited opportunities for progression in smaller/flatter organisations.

Continuous Professional Development

NICVA seeks to make continuous professional development as accessible and relevant for the sector as possible. We have a range of accredited and non-accredited courses as well as online learning. In the last year there have been 1,619 learners across a wide range of topics including governance, fundraising, management and leadership, human resources, communications, training and GDPR.

NICVA is an approved centre for both The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and Training Qualifications (TQUK) and between April 2017 and March 2018 we delivered 19 accredited courses, with 349 learners being awarded ILM/TQUK accreditation.

We encourage learners to apply their learning in their own organisation and have found from feedback that it has helped them to be more effective in their roles as well as provided opportunities for career development and promotion.

Impact on Learners

After doing the ILM level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, Aiveen from Belfast Unemployed resource centre commented:

“My main learning from the course has been recognising where I want to take my career. I benefited from the management theories and feel that I have clearer goals now. It has also helped me with my delegation skills and improved how I coordinate volunteers and facilitators. The impact of the course has been raising my awareness of what I am capable of – learning about my abilities and how to use them.”

Another impact of the training is that learners are more confident to do their jobs. Martin from Recovery College completed the TQUK Level 3 Award in Training and Education and said:

“The programme made me more confident coming back as a professional trainer. Gaining the qualification was like winning the lottery. It is also an employability tool and several people who completed have now gained employment as a result of having the qualification. It is a “life tool” that is with you the rest of your days and it is one of the most worthwhile things I have ever done.”

For many learners the training is about affirming their practice and giving them the confidence they need. Tori from Cancer Fund for Children said:

“It has helped increase my professionalism within my team and given me the confidence to question and probe as well as give feedback. It has also encouraged me to seek feedback from others I work with.”

Tori has also recently taken on more responsibility due to completing her continuous professional development plan which opened conversations with her manager about career progression.

The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) is a membership and representative umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. With around a thousand members that range from household name charities to grass roots community groups, we lobby and campaign to advance the interests of the people and communities that our members support. We offer a wide range of practical services, products and support to our members to help them do what they do best – find innovative solutions for social challenges.

You may also be interested in:

The Impact of Volunteering in Adult Education -  the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (blog)

Supporting learners - unionlearn’s online toolbox (blog)

Informal Solidarity in Partnership Working: Why Relationships Matter (blog)

Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) promotes workplace learning (blog)