Skills Third Sector developing new interactive tool for sector

Funded by the government following consultation with the VCS, Skills Third Sector is developing LINKS, a new interactive tool that allows sector organisations to search online for formal and informal training opportunities. The tool will aim to:

  • Help users access better quality, more relevant and best value learning opportunities.
  • Find users training solutions, from skills sharing and knowledge transfer to collaboration opportunities and free support.
  • Encourage open, transparent competition between providers.
  • Support networks of people to share knowledge and skills.

The platform will enable users to search online for information about skills development, ask other users for help or post details of their task or challenge. Using social media tools, it will find options to achieve the outcomes users require, whether those are a list of suitable suppliers, training to build in-house skills, free advice from practitioners, or a combination of these. Users can then select the solutions based on their particular criteria, including location, price, quality or feedback from other LINKS users. Skills Third Sector is being funded by the Skills Funding Agency to shape the development of LINKS between November 2011 and March 2012. The platform will then be developed between spring and summer 2012 with early versions available in summer 2012. To help in this development, staff, trustees and volunteers from VCS groups, and companies and consultants who provide services to the sector are being asked to get involved by attending a series of development workshops. Forthcoming events, including their target audiences, are:

  • 24 November, 11am to 12.30pm, York - frontline organisations
  • 30 November, 11am to 12.30pm, London - infrastructure organisations
  • 1 December, 11am to 12.30pm, London - Large sector employers
  • 6 December, 11am to 12.30pm, Birmingham - Specialist infrastructure
  • 7 December, 11am to 12.30pm, Sheffield - Frontline organisations

For further information on LINKS visit www.skills-thirdsector.org.uk/qualifications_learning/what_is_links.