Introduction to the Workforce Hub
The UK Workforce Hub’s vision is that voluntary and community organisations have the staff, volunteers and trustees with the diversity of skills and people they need to make an ever-growing contribution to creating a better society. It will work to achieve the following:
- More people choose to come and work in the sector
- Staff, volunteers and trustees can continuously develop their skills in a variety of ways
- People are able to develop their leadership and management skills
- Voluntary and community organisations find it easy to be good employers and manage their human resources effectively
It recognises the high level objective for 2014 and the interim objectives set by ChangeUp:
'There is a greater range of accessible development opportunities with increased take up of learning opportunities by voluntary and community sector workers. Employers have improved access to support and advice on human resource issues'.
NewsThe UK Workforce Hub have released two new research publications, both of which are available to view online, to download for free or to purchase in print. UK Voluntary Sector Workforce Almanac 2007Voluntary Sector Skills Survey 2007 'Bright Futures, Positive Influence - Creating a successful work experience placement in the third sector' will be launched by the Workforce Hub to support third sector organisations in hosting work experience placements. The publication aims to set young people off on a career in the voluntary sector, by encouraging charities to host school work experience placements. The UK Workforce Hub, along with NCVO, NAVCA, Volunteering England and other national, local and regional partners have provided a paper to inform its discussion on the provision of national workforce development support services from April 2008 to March 2011, this can be downloaded from the Workforce Hub website. The UK Workforce and Governance Hubs have begun a pilot of an accredited learning scheme for trustees and committee members. It aims to give existing trustees the opportunity to gain skills and also to encourage people from a diverse background to recognise trusteeship as a route to developing themselves. The Skills for Business Network, in conjunction with the UK Workforce Hub, is moving into a new phase of joint work beginning April 2007. The overall aim is to promote skills development of staff, volunteers and board or committee members in the voluntary and community sector. A report 'Consortia purchase of Human Resources (HR) support: a feasibility study' has been produced. The study, commissioned jointly by the UK Workforce Hub and NCVO’s Collaborative Working Unit, explores how Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations (VCSOs) that do not have a dedicated HR role, may be able to purchase HR support in other ways. Good Employment Guide factsheets on the Hub website look at the employment process, from recruiting your first member of staff, drawing up contracts of employment, pay and benefits as well as volunteers and employment. There is also information about where you can find other sources of HR support. Case studies highlighting good employment practice on recruitment, retention and diversity are also available on the Workforce Hub wesite. Call or email the free Workforce Hub helpdesk to find the answers to your workforce development questions. Telephone 0800 652 5737 (lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) or email helpdesk@ukworkforcehub.org.uk |
Aims of the UK Workforce Hub
The UK Workforce Hub aims to lead and facilitate action that helps all voluntary and community organisations to:
- Be great places to work and volunteer
- Be better employers
- Embrace a culture of learning and development
Organisations, accountable body and staff
The hub is UK-wide, and is hosted by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA). The accountable body for the hub in England is NCVO.
The three existing workforce functions at NCVO have been incorporated into the hub. They are:
- the Employment Practice Project, which provides information and resources enabling organisations to be better employers
- the former VSNTO which develops, promotes and implements National Occupational Standards for the sector
- Working For A Charity which promotes the voluntary and community sector as a positive career option and runs courses for people interested in working in the sector
The hub is also establishing a leadership centre, in partnership with ACEVO.
The full staff team will consist of 16 people – the Head of the Hub, four lead Managers each with responsibility for one aspect of the hub’s work – learning and skills, employment practice, promoting the sector as a positive place to work and volunteer, leadership and management development. They will be supported by five Project Officers, two communications staff and 3.5 administrators.
Business Plan, Key Documents and Links
The Workforce Hub Business Plan 
361k
Business Plan - Appendices 224k
Relationship of Hub activities with regional and local projects
- To improve capacity for workforce development at a regional and sub-regional level, the hub offers funds to regional infrastructure organisations to enable them to reach out to frontline organisations, especially those working with hard to reach or marginalised communities.
- The hub will work to connect up with the work of local and regional ChangeUp Consortia.
- The hub will signpost to resources and examples of good practice at a regional and local level.
- We will consult with regional and local projects on the best ways to work with them.
Contact details and website
UK Workforce Hub
Regents Wharf
8 All Saints Street
London N1 9RL
Tel: 020 7520 2490
Fax: 020 7713 6300
Email: workforcehub@ukworkforcehub.org.uk
Helpdesk: 0800 652 5737; help@ukworkforcehub.org.uk
