26/10/11

By Andrew Holt

Newly-published research has revealed a significant growth in the size of the voluntary sector workforce over the past decade.

The UK Voluntary Sector Workforce Almanac 2011 published today shows that there were 765,000 people working in the voluntary sector in 2010, an increase of 40% since 2001.

This represents a quicker rate of growth than that experienced in either the public or the private sectors over the same period.

Such long term growth precedes our recently released figures showing indications of a downturn in voluntary sector employment during 2011.

The Workforce Almanac is a user-friendly source of research and information for voluntary sector employers and managers.

It was commissioned by Skills – Third Sector, the registered charity working to make it easier for people who work and volunteer in charities and social enterprises to have the right skills to make a difference to people and their communities.

It has been jointly-produced as part of an ongoing partnership of research into the sector’s workforce with the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

The Workforce Almanac illustrates the importance of the voluntary sector’s contribution to the UK over the past decade, showing the range of occupations and skills that exist within the sector.

It also suggests a range of challenges for the voluntary sector and its workforce over the coming years as we cope with an ageing population, rising unemployment, and constrained public spending.

It provides reliable information on the current state of the voluntary sector workforce and its capacity to deal with such challenges.

Key findings:

In 2010, there were 765,000 people employed in the UK voluntary sector, an increase of 40% since 2001.

In 2010, over half a million women (522,000) were employed in the voluntary sector.

More than half (57%) of the voluntary sector workforce were employed in ‘health and social work’, equating to 437,000 people.

Keith Mogford, interim chief executive of Skills – Third Sector said: “The publication of The UK Voluntary Sector Workforce Almanac 2011 presents a valuable resource for employers and individuals working in the sector. We all know that voluntary organisations are suffering at the minute, with increasing demand for services and diminishing resources.

"This puts a strain on the time and money available for training and skills development, yet equally makes it ever more important that there is investment in that development.

"Skills – Third Sector hopes that by providing a comprehensive overview of the sector’s characteristics this publication will enable those organisations to plan more effectively and strategically for the future.”

Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, added: “We are very pleased to have been involved in this research. NCVO have long recognised the need for the sector to adopt a more strategic approach to workforce development and we continue to support an active programme of research in this area.

"We know that the level of resource seen by the sector throughout the past decade is unlikely to be sustained, meaning an increasing need to ensure that employers know how to get the best contribution out of the dedicated staff and volunteers upon which the sector depends.”

Other key findings show:

The sector now employs around 2.7% of the UK workforce, a proportion that has slowly increased from 2% in 2001.

Over one-third (38%) of voluntary sector workers were employed part-time, a higher proportion than within the private and public sectors.

Gross weekly pay in the voluntary sector amounted to an average of £397.71 in 2010, lower than in both the private and public sectors (£452.60 and £466.53 respectively).

More than one-third (37%) of voluntary sector employees hold a degree level qualification or higher.

Just under one fifth (18%) of voluntary sector employers reported that they have staff with skills gaps. The main impact of skills gaps within the voluntary sector was an increase in the workload of other employees (61%).

The majority of voluntary organisations (56%) provided both on-the-job and off-the-job training in their organisation, however just under one-fifth (18%) provided no training at all.

Only 5% of voluntary sector employers currently have or offer apprenticeships; however 92% had heard of Government-funded apprenticeships.

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