Validation policy for volunteer organizations

In this training course you will learn how to develop a policy to validate the skills and competences of your volunteers.

Target group
• Staff members and board members of volunteer organizations
• Staff members of professional organizations working with volunteers
• Board members of professional organizations working with volunteers

 Aims
• support organizations in developing a validation policy and strategy for the skills and competences of their volunteers
• implement this in the organizations policy in recruiting and supporting volunteers.

Highlights of the program
• Validation of volunteer skills
• Competence management
• Volunteer portfolio’s
• Policy issues

Day to day
Day 1
What can the organization do to support the validation of learning outcomes of the volunteers?
Examples of validation policies and models.
What is important for my volunteers: rewards – ''thank you'' – position on the labour market – link with formal education.

Day 2
The value of validation for the individual and for the organization.
How to promote the added value of volunteering (career / education).

Day 3
Description of competences (what are my competences, how can I describe these competences, why would I like to have external recognition, how to get external recognition).
EQF/NQF– What can be the contribution of the European Qualifications Framework to this process?
How can emerging National Qualifications Frameworks be used and how to influence them?
European Validation instruments (Validation Guidelines and European Skills Passport)

Day 4
Examples of portfolios
Awareness tools, (self) assessment tools, validation methods, competence frameworks.
Personal development plan

Day 5
Background information about European policies regarding volunteering.
Best practices from several EU member states.
What is non-formal learning in relation to volunteering?
Volunteer management cycle
What is volunteering policy on validation?
Examples of validation policies and models.
Steps in validation: awareness-documentation-proof-validation
Validation tools.