Ethical job seekers looking to improve their skills through volunteering may be able to benefit from a government-funded training advice scheme.

Launched in 2006, Train to Gain is a government initiative which provides businesses with advice on training packages for their staff to fill skills gaps in the organisation. The scheme will be extended so that volunteers of “non-profit community organisations” can have their skills assessed and possibly be sent on training courses to develop them.

To enable volunteers to take advantage of the scheme, however, voluntary sector organisations already have to be using the Train to Gain service.

Volunteering England welcomed the announcement from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

“Volunteering is widely recognised as a great way for people to develop their skills and this announcement will help many more volunteers realise these benefits for themselves and their communities,” said Rob Jackson, director of volunteering development at Volunteering England.

“We would, however, encourage organisations taking up this opportunity to be aware that training should be related to the volunteer role to avoid any potential legal problems.”

Train to Gain gives businesses access to a “skills broker” who identifies the skills the organisation needs to develop in the future, finds the right training for staff to improve their skills and helps track down funding in order to pay for it.

Phil Hope, minister for the third sector said: “In extending Train to Gain to volunteers we are giving new opportunities to thousands of people to gain new skills, enabling them to contribute fully to a fairer and stronger society.”

• Train to Gain
  www.traintogain.gov.uk
• Volunteering England
  www.volunteering.org.uk