Training search engine

[shaunPnichols]

Hi folks,

Just a quick shout out to all those interested in new training opportunities and news for our sector.

voluntaryskills.com is great destination on the web for meeting these needs. We are mainly a North of England service but there are many London-based training courses available to view too.

[MJR]

£75+VAT seems a bit steep for a statistics-free website listing. Why should a social enterprise pay that instead of (for example) donating a year's hosting services to a community charity?

[shaunPnichols]

We charge an annual fee of £75 (+VAT) to training providers; to list as many courses as they wish over that 12 month period.

This is extremely good value when commercial rivals charge, on average, £100 per month for listings. That also includes a cap on how many courses can be promoted per year!

voluntaryskills.com does not charge for receiprocal links, job & volunteering vacancies or event listings.

[MJR]

Yes, I work for a social enterprise that is also a training provider. So the question remains: why should we pay for a listing instead of spending it on our social goals? For example, what social benefit would the money go towards? I didn't find a social report on the parent group's website, nor any suggestion that one exists. Alternatively, what sales return can we expect?

So the price is set by comparison with other sites? If so, where are the viewer stats which says that comparison is merited?

I liked the look of the site at first, but the more I look, the more disappointed I am.

[shaunPnichols]

The project is offering an affordable means of promoting training opportunities to a Third Sector audience. The project has been operating since late 2001. Up until 2008, the project was supported by grant funders like EUSF, Northern Rock Foundation and LloydsTSB Foundation. We are trying to achieve a sustainable business model; one that is in tandem with our status as a not-for-profit.

This is not a comparison website; the model is markedly different. Training providers pay an annual fee to list their courses and can expect a high ROI.

Our mission is to enhance skills across the sector by hosting all the relevant information to aid personal/professional development in one place. The competitors we do have, currently benefit from grant funding. We are trying to continue this service with an income-based model.

The project does have social outcomes. Please note that PNE Development is also a training provider, a part of PNE Group. PNE Development manages this website.

A significant amount of resource has been committed to the redevelopment of voluntaryskills.com this year. Some minor revisions will be implemented this week; a completely rebuild is due for completion for September 2010.

I am sorry you are disappointed with the website

[MJR]

Originally Posted by shaunPnichols

This is not a comparison website; the model is markedly different. Training providers pay an annual fee to list their courses and can expect a high ROI.
[...]
The project does have social outcomes. Please note that PNE Development is also a training provider, a part of PNE Group. PNE Development manages this website.

Thanks for the answer, but I didn't find the social outcomes of PNE Development on their website, nor where to get them from. I don't remember PNE Group, it's not famous around here, the website "About Us" page talks about "capacity building" (which is a phrase that reminds me of failed grant applications more than happy things) and "providing training in governance and effective management" which we have other brilliant groups like the co-operative enterprise hub doing. The page mentions OSCAR which has little description on its page and voluntaryskills.com

More practically, voluntaryskills.com makes at least one social claim which doesn't appear to be met (WAI Level III, but it fails Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)).

If training social enterprises pay the listing fee, it looks like that money is just gone from their accounts without providing any social benefit. Now, it could be that you expect a purely commercial decision, so about that Return on Investment claim...

I realise it's not a comparison site. What I actually asked was about how the listing fee was decided: "So the price is set by comparison with other sites? If so, where are the viewer stats which says that comparison is merited?" Basically, if I went to members and suggested listing because it would have a high ROI, I would certainly be challenged to illustrate that. I wouldn't have any way to justify the claim because I didn't see viewer stats, referees, anything like that.

I hope you don't mind me playing a critical friend, but I hope a social enterprise is open to in-sector comments.