As the Third Sector’s funding gradually increases, are trainers finally beginning to dip their toes into this unfamiliar but burgeoning market? Jamie Natalie Cross investigates.

The Third Sector, a mix of various organisations both large and small, such as community centres, volunteer centres, registered charities and social enterprises, is expanding. Only last week, the Welsh National Assembly government announced its £5 million Collaborative Communities project programme aimed at providing business development advice and training to community sector organisations. And this is just the beginning. The new coalition government wants to involve more third sector companies in providing public services as part of the Conservative's Big Society plan. This also follows news that as few as one in four charities operates any form of training for its employees, it seems that this is a golden opportunity for trainers to enter the fray.

Making the leap

Yet there are some companies such as Volunteering England; National Council of Voluntary Organisations and National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service for whom training is an essential part of their business strategy. Jim McNeill, founder of training company, Sweet TLC is one example of a company that has embraced working within the Third Sector: “There are a number of private training companies who offer training to organisations. We do in house or through open access courses and we are also working on developing a number of elearning sessions specifically for the Third Sector."

While McNeill's overall opinion of training for the opportunities available in the Third Sector appear to be positive, he is not devoid of concerns: “Generally speaking trainers from a private sector background can find it hard, though not impossible, to get work in the Third Sector because of their different eco-cultural background,” he warns, “In addition, the sector is also very price-sensitive.”

This point is backed by Jane Turner, associate dean of the Executive Development Centre for Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, who cites financial differences as a bone of contention in the Third Sector: “A potential con is that funding has typically been an issue, which requires creative and innovative ways of thinking to ensure this important sector is not overlooked,” she says.

But aren't these issues for all sectors? Yes, she continues: “The challenges faced are the same as those private and public sector organisations encounter,” she says but, she points out, that this is one sector that certainly appears to be on the up. “Social enterprises appear to be remaining robust and strong in the current environment; an increasing number will require development to sustain the success and growth of their businesses and trainers should certainly consider what they can bring to the table. The potential here is huge,” she adds.

And she is not alone in her enthusiasm. Richard Nugent, a confidence and leadership coach who has worked with such charitable organisations as Christian Aid agrees: “Not-for-profit organisations are still working practices and should be able to get access to the best trainers out there,” he says. “Providing leadership and management development within companies is as important for Third Sector as it is for larger private or public sector.” 

Too much red tape?

While in the past, it has been easy to dismiss the charitable sector as cash-poor and red-tape-heavy, there are collaborations between training companies and charities that are disproving this stereotype. One such example is Imparta - a company that builds capabilities across sales and marketing, and Business Bridge - a charity aimed at improving skills and knowledge for those who cannot afford business education. Their recent merger has resulted in an organisation whose aim is developing entrepreneurial activity internationally, in countries such as South Africa and Ghana.

CEO and founder of Imparta, Richard Barkey, is understandably excited about the partnership that will allow them to play an active part in rebuilding the entrepreneurial foundations of economies such as Ghana, as well as others they plan to expand their reach to. Although specifically focusing overseas, this move brings to light an innovative approach to training for this sector.

So do they see a sea change in the way training companies are taking advantage of the opportunities available in the Third Sector? “I haven’t been aware of many other training companies getting involved in this kind of project,” says Barkey. “This may be because the Business Bridge Initiative is fairly unique in its vision, but it could also be because the economics of working in the Third Sector are very different to those of traditional training, especially in the UK.” Like McNeill, Barkey believes that third sector organisations really do demand a mixture of different training.

Time to take the plunge?

Professor Michael Hay, founder of Business Bridge sees that combining skills allows for the design of training courses that help maximise the value they produce for their delegates. “The Third Sector is undergoing significant expansion and will continue to do so in the near future,” he explains. “These facts, combined with the inevitable flux the change of UK government will produce, will open up rich opportunities for training companies to develop their third sector business practices.”

While this may sound like music to the training industry’s ears, Hay advises any training companies interested in tapping into the third sector should read a report called Mapping the Third Sector (March 2010) produced by The Work Foundation. This research monitors and maps the changes and developments within the sector.

Is this the holy grail for trainers? Should freelancers think about embracing this market? Well, the overall consensus is that although spokespeople for the Third Sector believe training companies should start approaching them; there are issues that hinder this such as funding and the different type of training that the sector requires.

However, it does appear that the Third Sector is on the rise and is taking new innovative steps forward such as Barkey and Hay have shown. Only time will tell if training companies begin to alter their way of working and begin to make the most of the expanding sector, or significantly, whether new parliamentary changes will have a positive or negative effect on charities and social enterprises. One thing is sure, this sector offers a wealth of opportunities to those brave enough to take the next step.