Approximately 28,000 staff are employed in the voluntary and community sector in the East Midlands. Key issues affecting the East Midland’s voluntary sector include:

• planning - the voluntary sector is struggling in producing training plans and analysing training needs
• skills gaps include health and safety, ICT, team working, customer care, supervisory skills, first aid, partnership working and management skills such as budgeting and planning, personnel management, marketing, communication and awareness of legal issues, and management skills
• lack of Job Security and Career Development due to short term funding and lack of promotional opportunities
• lack of Skilled Trustees particularly with appropriate management skills
• expensive provision
• lack of time and cover due to limited numbers of staff in small to medium organisations
• poor relationship with Learning and Skills Councils
• no mechanisms for recording work and communicating good practice

Source: Jordan and Newbury 2004