The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF) is awarded by 1st4sport Qualifications and is accredited at Level 3 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The qualification is appropriate for anyone who is currently working with volunteers in a paid/professional capacity or volunteers in a more senior role within a sporting setting. This qualification is not available in Scotland, although an equivalent version will be available from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
For further information on the regulated status of the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF), please log on to The Register of Regulated Qualifications website.
Is the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF) for me?
The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF)is for anyone over 16 years old who manages sports volunteers (directly or indirectly) and is responsible for club development, volunteer management and support; for example:
- governing body of sport volunteer managers
- county sports partnership managers
- local authority sports development officers
- further education/higher education volunteer managers.
Why should I study the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF)?
It will allow you to gain an understanding of:
- managing your role as a sports volunteer manager
- managing sports volunteers
- managing resources in support of sports volunteers
- managing a sports volunteer community.
What can I use the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF) for?
- To enable you to top up existing knowledge.
- As an effective CV enhancer.
- To gain paid or unpaid employment within the sports volunteer industry.
What will I learn?
The aim of the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF) is to provide you with an appropriate depth of knowledge about:
- how to manage yours and others’ time and workload
- your role in managing organisational change
- how to produce a personal development plan
- how to build and maintain internal and external networks
- the leadership and management of volunteers
- how to induct and deploy volunteers
- how to manage challenges and conflict
- the benefits of creative thinking relating to managing volunteers
- how teams work
- how to manage the development of volunteers
- the importance of monitoring and evaluation
- the financial aspects of managing a sports volunteer project
- risk assessment and insurance relating to volunteer management
- the importance of policies and procedures in relation to managing volunteers
- equality and diversity in a community of volunteers
- the Investing in Volunteers standard
- how to analyse volunteer involvement in your organisation.
How will my learning programme be structured?
Learning programmes are usually designed by the recognised centre that delivers the qualification. They may, therefore, vary in length and format. Depending on the needs of their learners, centres can offer intensive courses or a series of learning events over a number of days. Whatever the timescale, all learning programmes should include the following phases:
- an induction to the qualification and your programme of learning and assessment
- a learning programme that meets your needs
- a programme of assessment spread across the course.
At the end of the programme, you will be provided with formal feedback on your performance and an action plan for your further development.
What will my assessment involve?
The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF) assessment will require you to:
- complete a number of unit-specific research tasks and assignments, some of which may require you to source evidence or information from your workplace
- take part in a professional discussion.
How much will the qualification cost me?
Recognised centres offering this qualification determine their own fees and they will vary from centre to centre. If the qualification is delivered as part of an apprenticeship, it is unlikely that there will be a charge. Where fees are charged, they should entitle you to a programme of learning and assessment, registration and certification for the qualification, a 1st4sport Qualifications’ Learner Pack and appropriate learning resource. For further information on the costs of courses, please contact a recognised centre.
What do I do next?
The qualification is delivered by 1st4sport Qualifications’ recognised centres, not all of which offer open courses to members of the public.
For information on where to access a learning programme or for further information on the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Managing Sports Volunteers (QCF), contact 1st4sport Qualifications via email at enquiries@1st4sportqualifications.com or by calling 0113-290 7610.
Alternatively, you can contact runningsports who helped develop this qualification by visiting the runningsports website.
