New Voluntary Sector Management degree
Howard Lake | 28 July 2003 | News
Derbyshire St. John Ambulance and the University of Derby have launched a new style tailor-made ‘foundation degree’ aimed at volunteers in St. John Ambulance.
The ‘St. John Ambulance’ Foundation Degree in Voluntary Sector Management will be “the first of its kind in the country”, and marks the first foundation degree to be developed in conjunction with St. John Ambulance.
Derbyshire St. John Ambulance has previously provided various kinds of training up to NVQ level, but this is the first time any county branch of St. John Ambulance has worked with a university to provide a qualification at higher education level.
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The new foundation degree is due to start at the University of Derby in September 2003. It has already attracted interest from 36 St. John Ambulance volunteers and staff members in Derbyshire, as well as members of other county branches of the charity.
It is currently a pilot programme at the Derbyshire St. John Ambulance and will be based mainly in the county. However, it is hoped the qualification will be rolled out nationwide in the future.
Ken Cook CBE, Commander of Derbyshire St. John Ambulance, said: “The course provides the perfect opportunity for Derbyshire St. John Ambulance members to gain credit for their skills by transferring them into official higher education qualifications which have national recognition. It also provides the platform for members to gain extra skills such as leadership, management, health and safety, teamwork, recruitment and quality assurance, all of which would aid the work of Derbyshire St. John.”
Foundation degrees are a new concept in higher education qualifications. They have been introduced to meet the training needs of a number of different sectors that are not already fully served by traditional qualifications. They comprise a two-year programme of study undertaken full-time or part-time.
The ‘St John Ambulance’ Foundation Degree in Voluntary Sector Management is a work-based qualification, which will involve learning through the Internet and some classroom based sessions. It is aimed at people who already have some experience of the voluntary sector. The modules will include contributions to training sessions by St. John Ambulance senior volunteers and training staff.
Modules include personal and professional development, managing change in the voluntary sector, developing young adults, health and safety, mentoring, and motivating staff.
They will also have the opportunity to carry out a research project based on the organisation within which they work. This could focus on communication, use of ambulances, managing staff and volunteers or fundraising.
Although it will be a foundation degree in association with St. John Ambulance, it is thought the course may be attractive to many other voluntary organisations, health care providers, or people wanting to progress onto a career in the medical sector.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.