Charity Apprentice course offers new entry to the charity sector
Howard Lake | 13 November 2014 | News
UK charity the Kenyan Orphan Project has launched Charity Apprentice, a year-long part-time course for those keen to develop a career in the charity sector. It is currently open for its first annual intake.
The course runs for a year from December, and requires a minimum of 4-6 hours a week or 20 hours a month. It is aimed at university students, graduates, professionals looking to make a career change or those with an interest in international development.
It is divided into six modules, including fundraising, social enterprise and communications. There is an emphasis balancing practical and theoretical skills. The course culminates in a one-month stay in Kenya, where students will learn about international development, global health and the impact a career in the third sector can have.
Organisers say that they established the foundation course in response to demand from volunteers. They say that more than 3,000 people have already registered interest in the course.
The charity says that it is happy to accept participants from the UK and internationally.
For the 2014/15 intake, registration closes on 30 November at midnight.
The Charity Apprentice course costs £800. This includes all the teaching materials, online resources, assessment and one whole month’s stay and activities at a project in Kenya or Tanzania. Flights to and from the project are not included in the cost. If applicants pay in full before the course begins they will receive a £100 discount, bringing the course cost down to £700.
On completion, graduates are awarded with a Charity Apprentice certificate of pass or distinction.
Course content has been created by staff at KOP. It will also include educational content such as TED videos, online articles and contributions from other charity sector workers and specialists.
Thomas Muirhead, Managing Director of KOP, said:
“The course is aimed at those interested in learning how to practically change the world. The sector and how it works remains opaque to most people who don’t work in it. So with Charity Apprentice we want to give applicants a taste by actually doing some of the jobs that you would be applying for. It’s like an internship and a learning course mixed into one”
Initial charity reaction has been positive. Yvonne Dickson, Head of Regional Fundraising at Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, said:
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“We’d love to see applicants for roles with us having the kind of practical experience Charity Apprentice offers.”
Stevie Tyler, Head of High Value Strategy and Experience at Macmillan Cancer Support added:
“Charity Apprentice is an innovative and exciting way for people to get involved in the charity sector – doing good and getting great experience all at once.”
Carla Miller, Managing Director at recruitment consultancy Charity People, welcomed the initiative. She said:
“We regularly hear from candidates who are trying to break into the Charity sector, whether that be graduates looking to get a foot in the door or people looking for a career change. Charity Apprentice offers a unique way to gain practical, CV enhancing experience and a deeper knowledge of the types of career which exist in the sector. We’re really pleased to see the launch of such a useful and worthwhile foundation course.”
Charity Apprentice is already offering students some attractive opportunities:
By volunteering with us at @LatitudeFest
you'll learn about corporate fundraising. http://t.co/EcJKYIN7sE pic.twitter.com/RmPMxsk6ZC— Utopy (@utopy_co) October 28, 2014
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.