Charities and enterprises 'must move online'

With the digital revolution firmly upon us, social enterprises and charities should be doing all they can to embrace the online opportunities available to them.

At present, it is crucial for employees of UK organisations to be fully skilled and have access to advanced technology if they want to compete at the same level as their contemporaries.

There is so much to be found on the internet that could help employers train their staff. For instance, workforce development charity Skills - Third Sector is due to launch a new online resource that will help them to search and compare training opportunities.

The Skills Platform, which has been described by the body as an "interactive online skills marketplace", has been approved following £1 million in funding provided by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

It lets users choose the categories of skills they want to improve within their company and highlights others that might be useful to them.

All charities and training providers can register with the site before its official rollout on December 2nd, and from October 21st they will be able to create their own profile page, complete with photos, videos and product descriptions.

According to Graham Leigh, head of strategic partnership at Skills - Third Sector, employers and providers have complained to the charity about being unable to easily find one another, but the new platform is seeking to address this issue.

He said: "We hope it will improve access to skills development as well as appetite, increase investment from employers and reduce cost and risk for great providers struggling to attract viable numbers."

One of the main areas charities are likely to need help with is dealing with volunteers, and Virtual College - an e-learning institution based in West Yorkshire - is one company that can offer assistance.