I'm a freelance IT Trainer, desperately in need of some "on the other side of the classroom" time.
I'm going to be taking Prince2 in a few weeks for one of the training companies I undertake classes for, in return for "free training."
How does everyone else keep their skills current and get that much needed classroom time?
Paula Jones
5 Responses
Local Council Business Support
If you have registerd yourself as a company, you may be entitled to free use of your local council’s Business Library. They usually have heaps of videos and books on training type subjects and its also a great way to broaden your skills. I use Wessex Business Link: http://www.businesslinkwessex.co.uk
zero budget trainer training
Here is the challenge – for some of us ‘old’ codgers when you have been in training roles for a long time it is just ‘light’ refresher training – this you can often get by going to free presentation and watching & learning from others.
Depending upon your skill base you may need to be ‘feed’ a little more this is not going to be easy.
You could consider the following – dependant upon your prefered learning style (Honey & Mumford)
Read
network with CIPD/ ITOL
do vol work as a trainer & get training in the package
Peer learning – I meet up with fellow professionals 2/3 times a year & we take turns sharing any training we have been on or topics we have researched recently – this cost us lunch & a few coffees.
BTW
as a trainer you should be thinking about your CPD budget like a pension – if you dont invest in it then where is your future?
Even as an employee it was not unknown for me to spend 10% of my salary on my own CPD outside of the business!
Mike Morrison
RapidBI – Rapid Business Improvement
Training budget
Mike, I agree with your view of a training budget being as important as a pension, however when a number of companies I work with have gone bust and I’m not being paid, this is not a luxury I have at the moment. Neither, for that matter, is a pension.
Currently swapping sides at a training company appears to be my best bet.
beating against the tide
Paula I admire your tenacity.
Where are you based? (nothing on your profile – this can help get you work – it does for me)
I have just given away a place on a public programme I ran on Monday & am happy to do it again – the programme was in the south east.
If other trainers here ran public programmes it would be great to offer places to help develop the community.
My main ‘free’ CPD as I mentioned is when I meet with peers and we share ideas, experiences and materials.
Good thread I hope others build on it.
Mike Morrison
RapidBI – Rapid Business Improvement
Tenacious P 😀
Hi Mike, thanks for that. Tenacity is one quality I’ve found I’ve had to nurture as it really is sink or swim in this business.
I’ll update my profile in 2 ticks, but for reference I’m based in Leeds, but of course travel as we all have to.
I would be happy to participate in any skills swapping for other people in the same boat…