Why Every VET Trainer/Assessor Should Volunteer in Industry (Yes, You Too!)

Delivering relevant, high-quality training means staying in touch with what’s happening in industry. Right now.

Volunteering is one of the smartest, lowest-cost ways for trainers and assessors to stay current, connected and credible.

Volunteering doesn’t mean weeks of unpaid work. A couple of days a year helping out during a busy period or lending a hand can be enough. It ticks the boxes for vocational/industry currency, sharpens your insight and gives you real-life scenarios that engage students back in your training environments. It keeps you up to date with what is happening in the real world.

Volunteering is also a powerful circuit-breaker, a chance to reconnect you with your “why”:  the passion and purpose behind why you became a trainer in the first place. Sure, reading industry journals and sitting through webinars counts as professional development, but nothing beats getting your hands dirty and seeing the real work in action.

Volunteering can look like this:

• Assisting at a major event (hospitality, fitness, security, health)

• Shadowing a worksite supervisor or support coordinator (construction, mining, transport, community services)

• Helping trial a new system or process in a workplace setting (business, manufacturing, electrotechnology)

• Contributing to a seasonal surge (landscaping and horticulture, aged and disability or childcare services)

RTOs value trainers who stay engaged with the industry they train and assess in. Students notice too, they learn better from someone who speaks from lived experience, not just PowerPoint slides and training resources.

While volunteering is a brilliant way to maintain vocational currency, it is important to consider potential conflicts of interest. For example, if you're assessing students who are employed where you volunteer, you will need clear boundaries, documentation and full disclosure of your role. Check your RTO’s Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure or download our Conflict of Interest Checklist to ensure you remain impartial and on point.

Volunteering doesn’t just keep you current, it keeps you credible.