GET group – what does the future look like?

CCVS, and now Support Cambridgeshire, took over the GET group when the original charity closed. We want to see the network continue but also want to ensure it is meeting the needs of the sector and our partners. As such we are doing a bit of work on how things could work moving forward. This article sets out some of our initial thoughts and we will be asking all those signed up to the GET group for their views.

Where we are now

We continue to run the network but have moved meetings to quarterly online, this replaces the in person meetings of the past. Part of the rational for this is that the meetings were Cambridge centric and the GET Group is a county wide network. Online allows people from everywhere to attend, it saves people time but it does not support the same level of networking and updating from groups.

We have closed both the GET website and the Facebook page as both were unused, there is a GET holding page on the CCVS website.

We have set up a google form that allows groups to share what they are doing. This has been used by a small core of organisations and we have seen a drop off in people adding to it.

We have started an email newsletter that goes out after each meeting and we can also send alerts about time limited issues like funding and consultations.

We ran an online conference that shared a number of events over a week that were skills/employment related.

We have not continued with the adult learner celebration event.

Moving forward

We want your views on what will work for you around the learning and skills agenda.

We want to continue the networking meetings, but should these still be quarterly and should they be online or in person? We also want to know if the content works for you and how you think the networking could be improved without everyone wanting to share at every meeting.

We’re considering how a resource section on the new Support Cambridgeshire website could give us somewhere to store important documents and things that may be of use to you.

We want to run some sort of annual event, this could be an in-person conference or a celebration event. It could also be a more hybrid series of events and could be linked to ‘learning at work week’ or ‘lifelong learning week’.

We want to do more to demonstrate the impact the VCS has around skills, employment and guidance. This could include a celebration event but could also include sharing learner stories and impact reports. This could resemble the volunteer stories we share on the Volunteer Cambs website.

We want to look at how we develop formal partnerships or consortia that would allow the sector to bid for bigger pieces of work that would not be possible for individual organisations to deliver. A fantastic local example of what can be achieved is Fullscope.

There is more we can do around a number of other areas.

• Digital badges and how we can promote these to learners and to employers
• Apprenticeships in the voluntary sector
• Internships in the voluntary sector
• Work experience in the voluntary sector

Conclusions

The VCS is a bit of a sleeping giant when it comes to guidance, employment and training. Many organisations are working to equip individuals to build the skills and confidence they need to find work or take part in learning. We know the importance that volunteering can play in this process. We have the trusted relationships with individuals and communities that others lack.

There are opportunities available now and there will be more in the future that we need to be in a position to grasp.

The question is how can Support Cambridgeshire and the GET Group facilitate this – over to you to help us.

What’s in a name?

My final question is does GET group mean anything to people?

Should we become something more like the ‘Cambs employment and skills network’  – again over to you.

Please complete the survey below – just a few quick questions so that we can ensure that we, as the GET Group and Support Cambridgeshire, are providing the support that you need and want.

Thank you.

If you have any queries or comments, please email: enquiries@cambridgecvs.org.uk