Find out about The Open University's Social Sciences courses
To stay informed about the work of the CVSL, please sign up to our quarterly newsletter. Click on this link to sign-up.
On this page you'll find information about CVSL’s free courses, plus links to other courses and resources from The Open University, to help you develop your leadership practice and respond to complex challenges in an uncertain environment.
Leadership courses
-
Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations
This free course, Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations, provides an opportunity for people who work within voluntary organisations, as paid employees or staff, to develop energetic, practical and thoughtful leadership practice.
-
Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
This free course, Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations, will help you to reflect on and develop collaborative leadership practices that will make a difference. The course is aimed at people who work within voluntary organisations as paid staff or as volunteers or for people who work regularly with voluntary organisations, such as ...
-
Involving volunteers
This is a short course on volunteering developed by Volunteer Scotland and the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership at The Open University Business School. This course is about the essential things you need to consider to ensure a positive experience for individuals engaging in volunteering.
Leading in uncertain times
-
Leadership challenges in turbulent times
Welcome to Leadership challenges in turbulent times, a free course offered by the Open University. We are excited to join you on your journey to explore leadership in the turbulent times that we live in.
-
Empowering communities
This free course, Empowering communities, discusses the most common forms of community empowerment, and explores the barriers to community empowerment and ways that these can be overcome. It will conclude by looking at crime and criminality: a particular challenge that can arise if communities are not sufficiently empowered and supported.
Getting started in the voluntary sector
-
Introducing the voluntary sector
This free course, Introducing the voluntary sector, will guide you through some of the distinctive features and values of the voluntary sector, how organisations are funded and involve volunteers and other ‘stakeholders’ in their work. It will also provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering as well as ...
-
Working in the voluntary sector
This free online course, Working in the voluntary sector, will introduce you to some of the main activities carried out by volunteers and staff, will give you some background on how different organisations work and will provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering, as well as to your every day life.
-
Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market
This free course, Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market, explores how engaging in voluntary work can enhance your employment opportunities
-
Keeping Volunteers Safe
This course is part of a collection of courses called Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership. There are 4 courses in this collection so you may find other courses here that maybe of interest to you.
If you are in Scotland, we recommend you also explore this introduction to Skills for Work produced in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations Skills for work.
If you are in Wales, we suggest you also explore this introduction to resources on Active Citizenship in Wales Active Citizenship.
Visit the CVSL website for links to further resources and more details of the support available to the voluntary sector through The Open University.
Rate and Review
Rate this article
Review this article
Log into OpenLearn to leave reviews and join in the conversation.
Article reviews