The Platform has also been active for a long time in the field of education and the development of key skills in the field of volunteering. It offers a number of training programmes aimed at improving the quality of volunteer management, bringing together experts and professionals who have been involved in the practice, theory and legislation of volunteering for many years.
The Platform has recently expanded its offer to include online courses, making them even more accessible to anyone in Slovakia. The content corresponds to the scope of classical face-to-face trainings, while also including personal consultations.
Individual courses are opened by the Platform to the general public, while private courses are also available for schools, organisations or institutions.
The trainings are supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, administered by IUVENTA - Slovak Youth Institute.
Current trainings on offer:
32-hour accredited training, divided into 4 days. Successful graduates of the course receive a certificate of completion of training accredited by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic.
The training is intended for workers and volunteers in non-governmental and public organisations (civic associations, non-profit organisations, social welfare institutions, schools, foundations, etc.) who already work with volunteers or plan to include them in their activities. It is designed for people who want to learn and share with others how to find, select, train, motivate and retain volunteers. The training provides relevant theoretical and practical knowledge, skills and concrete methods that will be applicable when working with volunteers. It creates opportunities for role-plays, experiential techniques and their reflection for working with volunteers, interactive group work and exchange of experiences during discussions. The final exam includes the submission of a written elaboration of the volunteer programme manual/guidelines.
Service-learning in the education and training of children and young people for volunteering
The aim of the 24-hour accredited training programme divided into 3 days is to develop and expand the knowledge and skills of youth workers and pedagogical and professional staff of schools and educational institutions in the implementation of education and training of children and young people for volunteering through the strategy of service-learning in accordance with the Concept of Education and Training of Children and Youth for Volunteering (2018).
Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that combines meaningful volunteer service in the community with education and reflection. It is a way of learning in which theoretical training is linked to practical experience. The added value of service-learning is that it allows one to help others in their natural environment in addition to your own development.
The target group is people working with children and young people in formal and non-formal education - youth workers (both voluntary and paid), pedagogical and professional staff and employees: teachers of whatsoever subject in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, craftsmen and women teaching vocational training, educators and tutors. Participants are expected to have an interest in and a positive attitude towards the topic of volunteering.
Successful graduates of the training receive a certificate of completion accredited by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. The training also includes a final exam consisting of a presentation of a plan for the implementation of education and training for volunteering through the service-learning method in a particular school or organisation.
Measuring and communicating the impact of volunteering
The aim of this 16-hour training is to develop participants' knowledge and skills in measuring and communicating the impact of volunteering. The training is aimed at volunteer coordinators and youth workers working on the topic of the impact of volunteering, people working in NGOs, as well as in local and national government who want to:
- demonstrate the benefits of their volunteering programme for different target groups,
- be able to collect relevant quantitative data and interpret qualitative evaluations in relation to the results of the volunteering programme,
- improve their volunteering programmes based on a qualitative evaluation of their current performance,
- communicate the impact of the volunteering programme convincingly to the public, partners or donors.
Managing young and disadvantaged volunteers
Training of 15 hours, divided into several blocks. Participants will gain skills in communication with young people with disabilities, learn about the specifics of the appropriate work environment and appropriate working relationships when working with young people with disabilities, be able to set and identify an appropriate strategy for working with this target group, appropriate volunteer positions and benefits of volunteering, and be proficient in the elements of management of working with volunteers with disabilities.
The training is intended for persons working or interested in working with young volunteers with disabilities in public administration, in NGOs, in religious organisations in various fields - social, environmental, cultural, children and youth work, education, human rights, etc.