Trainee and shadow assignments

Trainee assignments let schedulers pair new volunteers with experienced team members so they can observe and learn before serving independently.

• Assigning a Trainee — When building a schedule, assign a volunteer to a role and set their assignment type to “Trainee.” The trainee is paired with the primary volunteer already assigned to that role.
• Visual Indicators — Trainees are easy to spot throughout the interface. In the schedule matrix, trainee cells appear with a dashed border and a “Shadowing” badge. Matrix column headers show a “(shadow)” label next to the trainee's name.
• Slot Counting — Trainees do not count toward a role's filled slot total. If a role requires two volunteers, a trainee shadowing one of them won't inflate the count — you'll still see the accurate number of serving volunteers.
• Best Practices — Shadow assignments work well for roles with a learning curve, such as sound tech, lighting, or children's ministry. Schedule a volunteer as a trainee for a few weeks before moving them to a regular assignment.