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Skill gaps
One of the major issues facing charities is the prevalence of skill gaps amongst their staff and volunteers. A lack of proper training in key areas can have numerous impacts on organisations, particularly increased workloads. This in turn leads to slower completion, less capacity to accept new work and no room to develop existing services.
Varied training needs
The common skill gaps in smaller charities include things like marketing, impact reporting and fundraising, while for larger charities it can be things like project management and IT skills. Add in the need to meet regulations through compliance training, or even onboarding and CPD, and it’s clear the sector requires a variety of training.
Lack of funding
Funding is a challenge common to all charities. Ensuring donations remain stable, as well as trying to increase them, is incredibly difficult. The pressure to do more with less is constant and cost-cutting is a relentless necessity. The costs associated with off-site training can quickly add up, making traditional training an expensive venture.
Lack of time
Many charities often struggle with under-staffing, while existing staff can lack the right training. This means workloads are large and time is scarce. It’s easy to see training as a disruption, taking staff away from key tasks for large portions of time, though its importance shouldn’t be underestimated and e-learning can help minimise disruption.
Train to retain
As charities are often unable to offer salaries comparable to those at for-profit, private sector organisations, recruiting top talent can be difficult. Retaining staff can also be a challenge, though many charity workers choose to work in the sector in order to make a difference. Training can be a great way to help retain top performers.
Geographical challenges
Large charities in particular often have staff and volunteers located all across the country, making coordinating and organising training very difficult. Bringing staff all together in one location is expensive, while having disparate training across various locations can lead to a lack of consistency in staff skills and new knowledge.
E-learning platforms come with all the flexibility and functionality to deal with any training challenges you can throw at them. Addressing the skill gaps in your charity organisation, as well as onboarding new staff and meeting compliance regulations is made simple. New learning content can be added at any time to adapt to any new requirements.
The tightening of belts when it comes to funding and the subsequent need to cut costs is something e-learning can help with too. Open-source options like Totara Learn and Moodle in particular are incredibly cost-effective and can massively reduce training costs permanently.
As many charities are under-staffed or have staff facing huge workloads, minimising disruption to their day-to-day schedules is key. E-learning can offer small, easy to digest content that staff can access whenever suits them.
Training staff can be a great way of helping them grow in your organisation and charities looking to retain key staff should use training to their advantage. Engaging training is easy to provide with e-learning platforms, whether with quizzes, live video sessions or other forms of content. Reporting functionality allows L&D decision makers to see which content works best.
Charities with staff spread out across large geographical regions will know the challenges this can bring to training. With e-learning however there is no need to gather staff all in one place at the same time as powerful automation tools allow you to train charity staff and volunteers in different topics and different times, regardless of location.
1. Adaptable, centralised training
E-learning platforms come with all the flexibility and functionality to deal with any training challenges you can throw at them. Addressing the skill gaps in your charity organisation, as well as onboarding new staff and meeting compliance regulations is made simple. New learning content can be added at any time to adapt to any new requirements.
2. Cost-effective
The tightening of belts when it comes to funding and the subsequent need to cut costs is something e-learning can help with too. Open-source options like Totara Learn and Moodle in particular are incredibly cost-effective and can massively reduce training costs permanently.
3. Flexible training
As many charities are under-staffed or have staff facing huge workloads, minimising disruption to their day-to-day schedules is key. E-learning can offer small, easy to digest content that staff can access whenever suits them.
4. Keep staff engaged
Training staff can be a great way of helping them grow in your organisation and charities looking to retain key staff should use training to their advantage. Engaging training is easy to provide with e-learning platforms, whether with quizzes, live video sessions or other forms of content. Reporting functionality allows L&D decision makers to see which content works best.
5. Simplify administration of training
Charities with staff spread out across large geographical regions will know the challenges this can bring to training. With e-learning however there is no need to gather staff all in one place at the same time as powerful automation tools allow you to train charity staff and volunteers in different topics and different times, regardless of location.
What different types of e-learning platform are there?
E-learning can seamlessly replace existing methods and quickly become a key part of their training. Charities can deliver online training using either a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Learning Experience Platform (LXP).
Here’s a mini-primer to each:
Learning Management Systems (LMSs)You can make use of an LMS to not only administrate and distribute formal training online, but also to report on results and, if necessary, prove that compliance regulations are being met. A charity LMS could bridge many of the skill gaps facing charities and their staff. Two leading LMSs are Totara Learn and Moodle. |
Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs)When it comes to informal and social learning, LXPs are king. They offer the concept of ‘learning on the job’ and collaborating to help others learn in social settings. LXPs like Totara Engage allow employees to create their own content ‘playlists’ and share useful knowledge and training with others. |
Performance Management Platforms
It’s also worth mentioning Performance Management Platforms which, while not learning platforms, are useful should you need to monitor and improve staff performance. They can help identify skill gaps to address using LMSs or LXPs.
Read our charity LMS case studies
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The charity recognised a strong requirement for courses to be made available online. Moodle LMS met all the requirements for Princess Alice Hospice, and the open source solution has enabled them to save money and invest. |
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Even before Covid-19 the charity wanted to develop an online community to reach the more isolated LGBTI young people. Partnered with Hubken, LGBT Youth Scotland created a Moodle LMS platform to bring their services online. |