Training and skills for volunteers
The Centre for Volunteering, TAFE NSW, community organisations and not-for-profits offer a variety of formal and informal training to help people volunteer.
Training and development makes volunteering stronger
Making the most of what volunteers know and can do benefits the community.
That’s why training, support and professional development for volunteers – and the people who manage them – is important.
Developing volunteers’ skills makes volunteering more attractive, more rewarding and more purposeful for volunteers. It also:
- builds skills and competency to support organisations
- gives volunteers employment pathways
- allows diverse skills and backgrounds to work as a team
- helps deliver essential services.
Qualifications, checks and licensing
There are other qualifications and checks that help organisations and volunteers. These can include:
- having valid identity documents, like a passport to verify who you are
- holding a NSW drivers licence
Volunteers working with children and young people are required to secure a Working with Children Volunteer/Student Declaration or the Working with Children Check.
A Working with Children Check is intended for employers, current and prospective employees and volunteers engaging in child-related work in Australia.
The check is designed to help ensure that the right people are chosen to work or volunteer with children. The aim is to prevent people from working or volunteering with children if records indicate that they may pose a risk.
The Centre for Volunteering is registered with NSW Police Force and offers volunteers a National Police Check (NPC) at $15 (GST FREE). You will have to request a secure link to be sent by The Centre for Volunteering to your email address, so you can apply directly and receive your NSW Police Force - National Police Check certificate to your own email address.
Learn more about applying for a Volunteer National Police Check.
The NSW Police Force provides a service to organisations to become registered and conduct National Police Checks through their secure online portal. The secure online portal offers registered organisation’s access to a $15 (GST FREE) volunteer check.
Formal volunteer training
The Centre for Volunteering provides different training opportunities to manage, train and recruit volunteers. The Centre regularly hosts professional development, workshop, and training events. You can view their calendar for more information.
There are nationally recognised formal volunteer certifications available, including:
- Skills for Volunteering (SG00007572)
- Certificate I in Active Volunteering (CHC14015)
- Certificate II in Active Volunteering (CHC24015)
- Certificate III in Active Volunteering (CHC34015)
- Certificate IV in Coordination of Volunteer Programs (CHC44015)
- Customised Accredited Training
- Volunteer Coordination Essentials
Formal training may have eligibility criteria or fees.
Informal training for volunteers
Informal volunteer training can happen on the job, through induction and orientation sessions or even through self-study.
Most volunteering is organised through not-for-profit community organisations (also known as ‘volunteer involving organisations’).
Volunteer organisations may employ professional volunteer co-ordinators or managers who can help you.
Training for organisations and volunteer managers
There are a range of helpful resources for organisations that work with volunteers.
The NSW Government provides a downloadable risk management toolkit. This toolkit aims guide organisations in building a sound risk management strategy.
The Centre for Volunteering also offers volunteer management workshops, events, information sessions and webinars. View their upcoming events.
The Way2Go program extends additional support by offering hardcopy and electronic templates. You can edit these templates to suit your organisation's needs, and they cover a range of areas.
The Way2Go toolkit includes volunteer policies, registration forms, induction procedures, dismissal procedures, and more. These resources aim to simplify your processes and improve operational efficiency.