Training for trainers

The Foundation for Human Resources Development and WorkAssist - Staff Support and Development are organising Trainers@Work, a renewed initiative, part of the continuous professional development for trainers and facilitators of adult learning.

It is a development from The Trainers' Clinic, a service for trainers which the FHRD and WorkAssist have been offering for two years. Following an evaluation of the activity, some new aspects have been included.

Trainers@Work is a service aimed at providing ongoing professional support for trainers. The agenda for each session will be set by the group and participants will volunteer to take a slot from the following session to share difficulties and challenges encountered in the job as a trainer, get feedback on how to deal with difficulties and challenges, share and discuss experiences, practise training techniques and conduct experiments in the group, and present topics, issues, ideas and concepts related to training.

This service will give trainers the opportunity to learn about new training approaches and skills and to create a network that will serve as a pool of resources and information that can be shared between trainers.

Part of each session will be dedicated to "open space", i.e., time for trainers to discuss and share specific difficulties which were not part of the agenda.

The Trainers@Work will be held every two months and the group will be kept relatively small (15 participants), to allow full participation. Also, membership in the group is set for a whole year whereby participants are asked to be committed throughout.

This workshop will provide trainers with the opportunity to experience and add to their toolkit a range of different skills, techniques and exercises while underpinning them with knowledge of learning theory and group facilitation issues and best practice. It will also help build confidence and improve performance through synergy, discussion and analysis.

This course relies heavily on the fullest participation of its members in practical training exercises and presentations by each delegate. Since this service is organised by trainers for trainers it will be up to each delegate to make this services as interesting and dynamic as possible.

Trainers@Work is open to people who are directly involved in training adults and would like an opportunity to develop professionally along with other trainers.

Trainers@Work will be facilitated by Patrick J. Psaila, M.Ed. (Vancouver), counselling psychologist and training consultant.

Sessions will be held on February 28, April 25, June 27, September 19, and November 21, between 2 and 4.30 p.m. at the FHRD premises, Small Enterprise Centre, Marsa. The six sessions cost Lm60 (VAT included) for FHRD members and Lm80 (VAT included) for non-members.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis once payment has been received.

Trainers@Work is sold as a package of six sessions for the duration of one year. Should you cancel within one week of the start date, i.e. February, the fee is refunded. Should you not show up, then the full fee remains due. However substitutions of delegates will be accepted till the February start date. No substitutions will be accepted along the year.

For more information contact the FHRD on tel. 2569-3303, 2123-3842 or 2123-3838, or fax 2123-3842 or 2124-5045.

Alternatively, e-mail Daniela Gouder at fhrd.d.gouder@ipse.org.mt.