Virtual Assistant Training Standards
At the UK Virtual Assistant Conference this year, I shared with you the rising numbers of complaints which I’ve had about Virtual Assistant Courses or start up training. In the background over the past year or so, I’ve been working with industry leaders to discuss this issue.
Why are virtual assistant training standards needed?
It seems unfair that we hold virtual assistants to high standards of professionalism, and don’t expect the same from:
- Virtual Assistant Trainers
- Virtual Assistant Start Up Courses
- Virtual Assistant Franchises
- Virtual Assistant Mentors
As an open forum, everyone was invited – some refused to take part, others weren’t able to make the discussions but sent through their comments on the situation. We stressed that the aim was to find a positive solution, there would be no “naming and shaming”.
What resulted was a comprehensive list of questions surrounding virtual assistant training standards which we believe all VA trainers should be able to answer:
Free Listing for Virtual Assistant Trainers/Courses
And as a carrot, trainers who are able to comply will be listed on the SVA website for free (as we do with the VAs in the SVA Approved scheme). All trainers will be checked, by the same team at SVA who check the new members for compliance.
We’ll independently verify what they say on their application, and list the business only when we can be sure they are of a sufficient standard as a trainer.
Download the handbook
Lastly, we wanted to be very clear about why these rules were put in place, so we developed “The VA Trainers Handbook” as a download.
In it we explain the rationale behind why VA trainers need experience of working as a VA; the kind of integrity we expect from them in their marketing materials; and why it’s important they keep up with current trends.
