Agency Core Skills Training


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HUMAN RESOURCES MANUAL
PROCEDURE
AGENCY CORE SKILLS TRAINING

Agency core skills training is optional for the Development and administrative volunteers, but mandatory for program volunteers who provide services to clients through programs. Agency core skills training is the last step in the screening and selection process for individuals interested in program volunteering. Suitability for particular programs will continue to be assessed during program specific training.

The agency core skills training is designed to acquaint individuals with agency philosophies and related policies and procedures and to provide an opportunity for new volunteers to build relationships with their peers. Therefore, it is highly unusual that an individual would be exempt from the entire core skills training. In exceptional cases where the Program Coordinator and Program Volunteer Coordinator agree the individual clearly demonstrates adequate skills and experience for the program assignment, some or all of the agency core skills training and/or program specific training may be waived or deferred.

The agency core skills training consists of approximately eight three-hour sessions and a day long session. Topics include:
-An overview of the volunteer policies and the relationship between volunteers and the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)
-AIDS 101 (basic HIV/AIDS information, treatment, testing, etc.)
-Safer sex, risk reduction and harm reduction
-An introduction to ACT's programs and services
-An introduction to health promotion, advocacy and other foundational principles
-Communication skills, assessment and referral
-Working with diversity
-Bereavement, grief and loss, self care
-Volunteering at ACT, from a volunteer's perspective

Volunteers are expected to make up any missed session(s) by attending the appropriate session(s) at a subsequent core skills training.

The Coordinator of Volunteer Services works with program staff and volunteers as well as community representatives to plan and deliver the core skills training. The Development Volunteer Coordinator may plan agency orientations for Development volunteers who are not involved in programs.

Revised 1999