[WiLT] Campaigners and development workers: Join our NOS steering group - apply by 14th April

[WiL Admin]

Campaigners and development workers: Join our NOS steering group

Below is an invitation for you to join a Steering Group for either of
the NOS, which will allow you to be involved with the development of
the standards for two important skills areas in our sector.

We are about to start writing two new sets of National Occupational
Standards for use by the voluntary and community sector.

These will be aimed at people involved in:
* Campaigning
* Development Work: This builds on the SKiLD competence framework
developed by NAVCA working with development workers based in a support
agency, for example, local infrastructure organisation, who gives
support to frontline Voluntary and Community Organisations.

This is a voluntary position, although we are able to cover reasonable
expenses.

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, we would be very
keen to hear from you.

Criteria for campaigning steering group:
* Are you involved in campaigning?
* Do you have a responsibility in recruiting or supervising
campaigners?
* Do you have previous campaigning experience?
* Are you enthusiastic about raising the standards of campaigners in
our sector?

Criteria for Development Work steering group:
* Are you a development worker working with other organisations? (e.g.
working for a CVS, RCC or CVYS)
* Do you have a responsibility in recruiting or supervising
development workers?
* Do you have a strong awareness of the challenges facing development
workers in the VCS?
* Are you enthusiastic about encouraging and raising the skills of
development workers in the sector

If you've answered yes to any of the above, why not join our steering
group?

You'll need to have a desire to improve practice in the relevant areas
but do not need to be an expert in Occupational Standards.

Just return the relevant application form (there are two, one for each
piece of work) to the UK Workforce Hub by the 14th April 2008.  (see
link for downloads below)

More information on National Occupational Standards (NOS) can be found
at the hub website http://www.workforcehub.org.uk/nos.

The benefits of NOS to individuals and their organisations include:
* Definitive guidelines that will define best practice and underpin
job descriptions and person specifications
* A base on which you can build an effective appraisal/recruitment
system and other career support tools
* A platform on which training that is relevant to both employers and
individuals can be built

We are looking for committed individuals that are available to attend
between 6 - 8 meetings from May 2008 - July 2009.

We need your expertise to ensure that these new standards are of the
highest quality, and that they reflect the latest in best practice.

The type of steering group we are aiming to attract will be a diverse,
interactive, hands-on group from across the whole of the UK.

The meetings will take place in London and will last between 3-5
hours, and may therefore require you to be out of the office for a
full day.

The nature of the meetings will be for you to take an active part in
group discussions and break out exercises, as well as more formal
committee style sessions. We are keen to make the meetings interactive
in order to enable us to investigate fully the new NOS job function
being considered.

The objectives of the project will be to:
* Develop an occupational and functional map for the two occupations.
* Write one comprehensive, job-relevant set of NOS covering the skills
required for effective campaigning and development work
* Consult with relevant employers to make sure that the necessary
skills and knowledge is captured
* To consider best methods in which the relevant users might interact
with the NOS

You do not need to be an expert on NOS, only on the subject area.

If you are interested in the work but do not wish to apply to be a
member of the steering group then please send an email to
Rachel.brett at ukworkforcehub.org.ukand request to be added to the "NOS
database."

For those of you that do respond with an application you will
automatically be added to the database for NOS (however there is an
opt-out option on the application form).

Once we have short listed applications we will be letting you know if
you have been recruited onto the steering group by the 25th April.

We will be able to confirm the first meeting date after this date, and
the other meeting dates will be given to you at the first steering
group meeting.

Please return application forms to Rachel.brett at ukworkforcehub.org.uk.
We will need to receive these by 14th April 2008.

If you have any queries please e-mail
esther.gillespie at ukworkforcehub.org.uk.

Esther Gillespie
Learning and Skills Project Manager
Tel: 020 7 520 2521 (Direct Line)

Source http://www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=12310