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Case Study: Humberside Learning Consortium: Voluntary Sector Skills Brokerage Humberside

One of fifteen brokerages in Humberside, the Voluntary Sector Skills Brokerage has a strategic and operational role in relation to workforce development in the sub-regional voluntary sector, including:

• identifying local sector skills priorities.
• identifying gaps in skills provision.
• representing and articulating workforce development issues to funders, learning providers and other brokers.
• added-value liaison with business support organisations, e.g. Business Link.
• signposting organisations to appropriate learning provision.
• providing organisational development planning support.
• providing learning opportunities.
• curriculum & service development.

The brokerage operates on two output-funded contracts

• ESF-LSC Co-finance (January 2004-March 2005).

Funds a range of services including development planning support, a programme of non-accredited and OCN-accredited short courses, regular trainers' forums, an annual conference, a web-based resource aimed at trustees, Investors in People and PQASSO mentoring training for voluntary sector workers, and labour market / sector research.

• LSC Workforce Development (April 2004-March 2005).

Funds a programme of level 3 and level 4 qualifications, including management & leadership and teacher training awards.

The brokerage is effectively aimed at people in the voluntary sector working or volunteering in a role that involves organisational and / or personnel development, i.e. trustees, managers, first-line supervisors, fundraisers, development workers, volunteer supervisors and trainers.

The funding streams have further specific beneficiary eligibility criteria attached to them, i.e. employment status, age, residence and organisational status.

Five generic skills priorities inform and influence the work of the brokerage:

• Leadership & management
• Trainer development
• Trusteeship & governance development
• Fundraising
• Community Development Work

Voluntary groups can access initial one-to-one support via the brokerage. That enables production of an organisational development and training plan - and hopefully encourages them to budget realistically for workforce training.

Where gaps exist in local FE or other learning provision, the brokerage provides a programme of learning opportunities that meet the 5 priorities outlined above.

This year the brokerage is bundling all learning provision funded via the ESF Co-finance contract into a published short course programme.

Progression routes are available into level 3 and 4 qualifications, funded via the LSC Workforce Development contract.

The brokerage is also mapping and developing new learning provision in each of the skills priorities, as well as additional services such as the trainers’ forums, the annual “Developing Ourselves” conference and the trustee web resource.