Who is this training for?

People who are new to working or volunteering in the voluntary sector, or those who might be looking to enhance their knowledge and skills in order to improve their career progression. The course will also be relevant to people seeking paid work, volunteer and trustee roles in the sector.

What is this course about?

The course learning outcomes are:

Understand the role and scope of the voluntary sector, its environment and workforce.
Recognise and use some of the terms and concepts associated with the voluntary sector.
Be able to describe the key areas of work in a voluntary organisation and how to apply your knowledge about the sector to your own work or volunteering (if already active in the sector).
Be able to clarify, and feel more confident about, where your skills and interests might fit within the voluntary sector and know where to go for further information, training and support.

How much does it cost?

This course is free.

How long does it take to complete?

15 hours study

How do I enrol?

Click on Further information and booking in the top right of this page, you will then be sent the link to access the course.

By studying the course you will have the opportunity to gain digital badges – you need to click on the ‘Enrol’ button when directed to the OpenLearn site to be able to do the quizzes and earn the badge.

Do update your profile on Get InVOLved Skills with any training you have completed

Taking part in the voluntary sector. An OpenLearn chunk used/reworked by permission of The Open University copyright © (2025). Shared under the terms of Creative Commons ‘Attribution; Non-commercial; Share Alike’ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en_GB

E-Learning - Volunteering Basics

OpenLearn - Taking part in the voluntary sector