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NVQ scheme for shop volunteers

Join the NVQ scheme

We offer our shop volunteers the chance to complete a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in a retail-related subject.

You’ll learn practical and work-related tasks that help you do your job effectively.

The NVQ scheme is open for anyone with or without previous experience in retail.

Benefits of the NVQ

NVQs are a great way to put learning into practice. You'll get:

Shop volunteer Gary Price

  • A nationally-recognised qualification
  • Valuable work experience
  • Up-to-date references
  • Free student union membership, which has a range of benefits such as discounts on travel and in many shops.

About the NVQ

You can choose from the following courses:

  • Customer service covers topics such as delivering good customer service and resolving customer complaints.
  • Distributive operations course includes units on keeping the workplace healthy, safe and secure.
  • Retail operations option includes modules such as displaying stock, maintaining stock levels and health and safety.

The courses take between six to nine months to complete. You should plan to volunteer in the shop for around 16 hours a week during the course. There are no exams or tests but you’ll be assessed by completing a range of shop duties.

Become a shop volunteer and join the NVQ scheme

Just drop into your local Cancer Research UK shop and ask to speak to the shop manager, or call our volunteering hotline on 0845 009 4290 for more information.

We would like to thank Corporate College, our NVQ provider, and the Learning and Skills Council for providing substantial grant funding for this project.