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Training & Development

The AUC is committed to developing and delivering training resources and opportunities for volunteer club members to improve and build on the skills and knowledge required to lead sport in UCD. Throughout each year training opportunities are provided to club members, coaches and committee members to support the effective running of the club and to develop the students’ skill base in a variety of areas. 

Training Provision Policy

The AUC Training Provision policy forms part of the AUC’s Strategic priorities for 2020-2024, specifically under the pillar of Volunteerism and Support Services. In this regard the AUC is committed to continuing to develop and deliver training resources and opportunities for volunteer club members to equip them with the skills and knowledge to lead sport in UCD. Training relevant to all clubs such as First Aid, Club Safety Session, will be run on an annual basis. In addition to the club officer training that takes place yearly, the AUC also offers many other development initiatives as well as funding towards courses that assist in the effective running of clubs etc. 

Purpose of the policy
  • To ensure that club committees are supported and enabled to effectively run their UCD club.
  • To highlight the training opportunities available to members of UCD sports clubs.
  • To provide information on how a club or club member can access these training opportunities. 
Scope of the Policy
  • This policy applies to members of all UCD sports clubs affiliated to the AUC. It is envisaged that the uptake of these opportunities will derive from club members who are actively participating in their club as a player, coach, volunteer or committee member. 

Key Training Opportunities

To cater to the shared needs of individual UCD Sport clubs, the AUC (Athletics Union Council) provides diverse training programs aimed at enhancing their operations and ongoing growth. These training opportunities are designed to equip all clubs with the necessary knowledge and skills to efficiently manage and advance their respective clubs. The following areas have been identified as universally applicable to all clubs.

Registration Information and AUC Requirements

  • To complete a course, click the hyperlinked name of the course.
  • New users must register for a Thinkific account using their personal or student email (not the club's).
Training / Course Available On or From (all dates 2024) Further Details / Due Dates

(opens in a new window)Club Officer Training (Online)

 September 01 Mandatory Training. Must be completed by at least one committee member per club by October 11. Failure to meet this deadline will result in a 10% reduction in the club’s grant allocation. Recommended for all committee members.
(opens in a new window)Club Safety Session (Online)

September 01

 Mandatory Training. Must be completed by October 11. It’s recommended that your club’s Children’s Officer, First Aider, and Equipment/Gear Officer complete this training.

Safeguarding 1 Workshops (Online)

August 28 

September 03, 12, 18

October 02, 10, 21, 24

November 27

 All voluntary and paid coaches, managers, activity/trip leaders and children's officers are required to hold at a minimum a valid Safeguarding 1 certificate. Required before an individual can begin their roles. Certificates are valid for 3 years.

(opens in a new window)Sport Ireland Safeguarding 1 Online Refresher

Year round

 The Safeguarding 1 course must be refreshed every 3 years. Mandatory for the above roles whose certificates are about to expire.
Just before the 3 years has passed the individual can complete the Sport Ireland Safeguarding 1 Online Refresher. The refresher certificate is only valid if it is gained before the original Safeguarding certificate (from tutor led course) expired.
(opens in a new window)PRO Training (Online)

September 01

 Recommended for whoever is responsible for the club’s social media.
(opens in a new window)Junior Treasurer Training (Online)

September 01

 Applicable to all club Junior Treasurers.
(opens in a new window)Google Groups Collaborative Inbox (Online)

September 01

 Applicable to club committee members who manage Google Group accounts.
(opens in a new window)Dignity and Respect - Guide for UCD Sports Club Officers (Online) September 01 Recommended that club coaches / committee members complete this training.
First Aid Course (In person) October 12 Booking details will be sent to clubs closer to the course date. At least one club member who will act as the club's First Aider.
(opens in a new window)GDPR (Online) September 01 Recommended for all committee members who have access to club members' personal data.
Other Training
Training / Course Available On or From (all dates 2024) Further Details

Online Suicide Prevention Training

 September 01 Recommended for all committee members.

(opens in a new window)SCAT Heads Up Online Module (Concussion)

 Year round Clubs First Aider, Safety Officer, coaches and trip leaders.
Training Opportunities (Provided by third party, funding may be provided)

The AUC recognises that in some cases the club's needs are unique, with that in mind the AUC believes that it is the club itself that is best placed to identify the sport specific course/s required to support the achievement of its aims. Examples of these courses include:

  • Remote Emergency Care
  • Coaches/Instructor Courses
  • Officiating Courses
  • Safety/maintenance related Courses e.g. Manual Handling, AED, Fire Extinguisher Training.

Funding for Courses and Training

Can I apply for Funding for a training course provided by a third party?
  • Applications are made for individual club members whose form must be signed by the respective club President/Chairperson or Captain (where the position of President / Chairperson does not exist).
  • Your application will only be considered if the completed application is returned, via e-mail to Paula Cashman (paula.cashman@ucd.ie) by 31 October 2024.
  • Applications received after the closing date will be reviewed under the availability of finance at the time and the criteria above. These will be adjudicated on a first come first served basis.
  • It is the club/members responsibility to book and pay for the course. Subsidy will be paid upon successful completion of the course and on the completion of agreed volunteering within the club or local community within a confirmed timeframe (agreed on an individual basis between the AUC, the respective UCD Club and the individual). Please be specific about the exact details of the proposed commitment.
Criteria for receiving a subsidy
  • The chosen course must be from a recognised awarding body.
  • The chosen course must reflect the clubs sport.
  • The club must demonstrate the need for the club to have a club member obtain the qualification.
  • There must be a benefit to the club/local community for a member to attend (e.g. member commits to coach a team on a voluntary basis X amount of times, or the course is a requirement for the club to train/compete or the course covers important safety aspects for the club).
  • Where multiple applications from the same club are received for the same course, the club will asked to prioritise, unless the course is a requirement of their NGB.
  • Evidence from the NGB / Awarding body of the course cost and content must be submitted with the application.
  • Those attending must be fully paid up members of the club and continue to meet AUC membership criteria.
  • In some cases applications from club coaches engaged on a voluntary capacity with a UCD club may be considered.
  • In some cases retrospective claims may be considered, depending on the availability of funding, however only applications that include future commitments to the club or local community will be considered.
Conditions
  • A report on the benefits for the club as a result of the subsidised course attendance and completion must be provided before the final drawdown of the subsidy is made.
  • Additional conditions specific to the subsidy may be outlined.
  • Following assessment successful applicants will be notified and may be requested to provide receipts and/or other relevant documentation in order to facilitate payment. On receipt of all documentation arrangements will be made for payment directly to the club's bank account. It is the responsibility of the club to reimburse the member.

Club Management Module

Club members seeking to get involved in the organisation of their respective club may be interested in the taking the following module on offer:

  • SCI20030 - Community, Volunteering and Leadership

This modules are a great opportunity for you to build on your knowledge base whilst at the same time helping your club to run effectively. Should you wish to register for this module you can do so via SISWeb, where full information on the module content, assessments procedure, eligibility etc. is provided.

(For a full list of modules available clickhere).

More Information

Safeguarding 1
  • UCD Sport in Partnership with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnership have organised online Safeguarding 1 - Child Welfare and Basic Protection courses which will educate participants on the implementation of best practice on protecting the welfare of children involved in Sport. 
  • In UCD all voluntary and paid coaches, managers, activity leaders and children's officers are required to hold at a minimum a valid Safeguarding 1 certificate.
Club Officer Training
  • This is an extremely important and relevant annual training. Each club must have at least one representative complete the training each year and we encourage all committee member to do so, especially new committee members.

In order to assist with the effective running of your club the following key areas are covered, including:

  1. UCD Sport
  2. UCD Athletic Union Council
  3. Club Banking
  4. Club Health and Safety
  5. Club Membership
  6. Club Grant Application
  7. Club Coaching Payments
  8. UCD Sports Facility Usage
  9. Other UCD Sports Facilities
  10. Club Training and Development
  11. Club Participation
  12. Club Communications
  13. GDPR For Sports Clubs
  14. Other Relevant Policies and Procedures
Club Safety Session
  • All club Safety Officers must complete this online Safety Session.
  • A 60 minute overview of the UCD club safety statement requirements covering topics such as why UCD requires clubs to complete safety documentation; the UCD Sports Club Safety Manual template and how to complete it; key questions to consider when managing sports club safety and risk assessments in UCD.
Emergency First Aid
  • This one day course covers a comprehensive range of topics to prepare participants to administer first aid care. Participants will learn a high level of practical skills so they can deal with situations when they arise. The course has a major emphasis on dealing with accident/injuries that occur in a sporting context. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance from Safety Ireland.
  • Please note each club must have at least 1 member who is First Aid qualified.
GDPR Training
  • In May 2018 a new EU wide law, the General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR) came into force.
  • GDPR strengthens individual’s rights in respect to their personal data held by organisations. Consequently, this affects all sporting organisation. To ensure all UCD Sports clubs are aware of what key data privacy measures are required to be compliant with legislation, it is mandatory that at least one committee member from your club completes this training, it is of particular interest to the person responsible for managing membership information. 
Dignity and Respect - A Guide for Sports Club Officers
  • To raise awareness about UCD's Dignity and Respect policies and your role in promoting them, the UCD Dignity and Respect Support Service has developed a concise guide in the form of an animated video. We highly recommend that all club committee members watch this brief animation to enhance their understanding and commitment to upholding these principles.
PRO Training
  • Our PRO training covers a range of topics related to the role of PRO, including platforms and their benefits, free design tools, internal and external communication, security, analytics, and important policies. This training will provide you with valuable knowledge and skills that will help you excel in your role as a PRO.
Junior Treasurer
  • This online training is designed to equip sports club junior treasurers with essential knowledge and skills. Participants will learn how to access the club bank account, gain an understanding of basic accounting and budgeting principles, receive an overview of the grant application process, and develop good practices in financial management.

  • Booking Centre
  • Dignity & Respect Support Service - A guide for Sports Club Officers | Culture & Engagement, UCD Human Resources

How will clubs be informed about these training resources?

  • A calendar outlining when the courses/seminars will run and details of the course will be available on the UCD Sport website.
  • UCD sports clubs will also be informed via e-mail. The club should then distribute the e-mail to its members (where applicable).

How can I book a training course provided by the AUC?

  • Bookings are made, via e-mail to Paula Cashman (paula.cashman@ucd.ie).
  • Where places on a course are limited they will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
  • For the recommended courses booking procedures vary per course and will be e-mailed to the clubs.

How can I book a training course provided by a third party?

  • It is the responsibility of the member/club to book the individual onto the training course provided by the NGB or awarding body, the NGB or Awarding Body's booking procedures for the course apply. Where the course is being run on behalf of the AUC, booking procedures will be sent to the club/s.

This eLearning module, ‘Sexual Violence and Harassment: How to Support Yourself and Your Peers’, created by Active* Consent, provides you with an overview of issues related to sexual violence and harassment, as well as support services available for you and your peers in the event of a negative sexual experience. The module also introduces how you can safely and appropriately become an Active* Bystander in your community and campus.

Contact UCD Sport

Sports Office, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 2183 | E: sport@ucd.ie | Location Map(opens in a new window)