Charity workers can now apply for a work shadowing initiative that involves voluntary sector and government staff pairing up to spend a day in each other’s organisations.

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations’ scheme, ‘A Day in the Life’, aims to improve cross-sector understanding of roles and responsibilities of staff within the public and voluntary sectors.

It hopes that by opening up dialogue between staff, it will then encourage improved relations and policy-making.

Applicants are paired up with a suitable person from the opposite sector and must find a convenient time between September 2014 and January 2015 to spend up to a day in each other’s organisations.

The scheme gives applicants the opportunity to “ask questions, offer and take advice, and share ideas on how civil society and government can work more effectively together.”

In 2013 1,292 participants from across the two sectors took part, with 80 per cent of those from the voluntary sector saying they found the experience “worthwhile” or “very worthwhile”.

A further 88 per cent of voluntary sector respondents said that they felt the scheme has increased their knowledge of how government works on a day-today basis.

Meanwhile, 79 per cent of government employees who took part in the scheme said it increased their knowledge of the voluntary sector.

Government departments that have already signed up to this years scheme include the Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. In 2013 ten government departments took part.

Applications can be submitted here from today until August 1.