Welcome
Vocational Training Teams
Group Study Exchange has become Vocational Training Teams.
Assistance for your Club in preparing potential team members for a VTT Team became available from July 2013.
Vocational training has long been a core element of Rotarian service. Under the new grant model known as Future Vision, the Trustees took the original premise of Group Study Exchange and added a formal training component to create Vocational Training Teams (VTT). VTTs foster the transfer of knowledge and skills in an effort to help communities in need for the long term. In addition, pilot districts have found that a VTT also offers an opportunity to interact socially and advance cross-cultural understanding.
Vocational training can be supported with both district and global grants. Using a district grant, you can sponsor a wide range of vocational training activities, from a traditional GSE to a formal training program. District grants place no restrictions on the number of travellers, their age, or the length of travel. Your district can also use district grants to send a group of Rotarians to plan a future project.
Using global grants, you can support vocational training activities that align with one or more of the six areas of focus, (click here for summary) have a measurable impact on communities in need, and provide training that is essential to ongoing efforts. The teams must consist of at least two members (either Rotarians or non-Rotarians) with at least two years of professional experience in the designated areas of focus and a Rotarian leader who has expertise in the area of focus, international experience, and general Rotary knowledge. In certain cases, the Foundation may grant permission to designate a non-Rotarian as team leader. There are no restrictions on the age of participants. Global grant VTTs may also be a component of a larger humanitarian project.
Global grant VTTs are funded using cash and/or District Designated Funds (DDFs) contributions from the grant sponsors and are matched by the World Fund, allowing clubs and districts greater leverage of their contributions. Encourage your members to review the areas of focus policy statements (.PDF) that articulate the purpose and goals of each area, outline specific eligibility criteria, and highlight elements of successful projects. These statements will help you to determine whether a vocational training activity is eligible for a global grant.
Vocational training has long been a core element of Rotarian service. Under the new grant model known as Future Vision, the Trustees took the original premise of Group Study Exchange and added a formal training component to create Vocational Training Teams (VTT). VTTs foster the transfer of knowledge and skills in an effort to help communities in need for the long term. In addition, pilot districts have found that a VTT also offers an opportunity to interact socially and advance cross-cultural understanding.
Vocational training can be supported with both district and global grants. Using a district grant, you can sponsor a wide range of vocational training activities, from a traditional GSE to a formal training program. District grants place no restrictions on the number of travellers, their age, or the length of travel. Your district can also use district grants to send a group of Rotarians to plan a future project.
Using global grants, you can support vocational training activities that align with one or more of the six areas of focus, (click here for summary) have a measurable impact on communities in need, and provide training that is essential to ongoing efforts. The teams must consist of at least two members (either Rotarians or non-Rotarians) with at least two years of professional experience in the designated areas of focus and a Rotarian leader who has expertise in the area of focus, international experience, and general Rotary knowledge. In certain cases, the Foundation may grant permission to designate a non-Rotarian as team leader. There are no restrictions on the age of participants. Global grant VTTs may also be a component of a larger humanitarian project.
Global grant VTTs are funded using cash and/or District Designated Funds (DDFs) contributions from the grant sponsors and are matched by the World Fund, allowing clubs and districts greater leverage of their contributions. Encourage your members to review the areas of focus policy statements (.PDF) that articulate the purpose and goals of each area, outline specific eligibility criteria, and highlight elements of successful projects. These statements will help you to determine whether a vocational training activity is eligible for a global grant.
Take a look at the following resources and learn more about our Foundation's new grant model.
- Review Preparing Your District for Rotary Foundation Grants in 2013. (download at left)
- Download the Vocational Training Teams fact sheet. download at left)
- Go to the Foundation Grants FAQ on the RI site, which provides a wealth of information, particularly background to Vocational Training Teams and global grants. (link at left)
- Learn about the new grant model through e-learning modules available in Rotary's e-learning center, particularly the module focused on Vocational Training Teams. (link at left)