These standards have been developed for everyone who manages volunteers. Voluntary and community organisations across the UK will be able to make use of the new standards in their recruitment, selection, training and development procedures in order to improve the skills of volunteer managers.

The standards were written by a steering group of experts and practitioners led by the UK Workforce Hub and compiled by the Management Standards Consultancy. The process included a three month UK wide consultation period in which individuals were able to contribute their views via an on line consultation or at one of the UK events. All of this hard work has led to this final version.

These standards are funded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, (UKCES). They include the knowledge and skills that every competent manager of volunteers needs to be able to demonstrate in order to do their job to a nationally recognised level of competence.

The new standards can be accessed at www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/mvnos08.

The UK Workforce Hub has also developed National Occupational Standards for Fundraisers (which have also been recently updated) and for Trustees and Management Committee Members. To find out more about these standards, visit www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/nos.

If you're interested in finding out more about our standards work, join the mailing list by emailing workforcehub@ukworkforcehub.org.uk quoting 'NOS mailing list'.