Essential Skills for Volunteers course
This resource is open to everyone, whether you are new to volunteering or an experienced volunteer who wants to develop your skills.
You can self-enrol and complete the 2.5-hour course at your own pace.
It includes real-life case studies from community groups, workers and volunteers. It also signposts to volunteering opportunities and further learning, focusing mainly on Leeds and West Yorkshire with links to national networks.
Once you have completed the course, you can download two digital badges – Volunteer Skills Builder and Volunteer Explorer – to recognise your learning.
Interested in volunteering with children or adults with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)? Explore our four-week SEND course: Inclusive Education: Exploring SEND Practice and Strategies.
Essential Skills for Volunteers aims to enhance existing induction practices and reduce the need for organisations to create new training.
Developed by the University of Leeds Lifelong Learning Centre and Digital Education service in partnership with Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL), Leeds City Council and a wide range of voluntary and community organisations, the course provides a single, shared resource to support volunteer training.
It also signposts to volunteering opportunities and further learning, focusing mainly on Leeds and West Yorkshire, where the resource was developed. However, the course content is suitable for use nationally, and practitioners can signpost to opportunities and adult education in their area.
Further information
- Watch the recording of the Essential Skills for Volunteers launch event on Youtube.
- Download the Essential Skills for Volunteers launch event slides (PDF 3.09 MB)
- Learn more about the Lifelong Learning Centre's outreach work with adults and local communities.
- For more information about the course, email Olivia Garvey at o.garvey@leeds.ac.uk.
The course launch event at the University of Leeds. Left to right: Olivia Garvey and Myfanwy Howarth, University of Leeds, Andrina Dawson from Voluntary Action Leeds and Clare Coleman, University of Leeds.
