4 Responses

1. Qualifications

   The Certificate in Training Practice is a well recognised professional qualification. And there are other similar options too. In most parts of the public sector and private sector, this type of qualification is the norm for people working in L&D. Like most in the profession I dislike this muddling of trainer and teacher as if they were synonymous. For the vast majority of people in L&D being a ‘trainer’ is very different to being a ‘teacher’. They would not consider a ‘teaching’ qualification as being as suitable as a specific professional training qualification. A glance through the job ads will confirm this.

   However, in the Lifelong Learning Sector (another confusing term in my view), people do talk of training and teaching in the same breath. In that context, if you work in a college for example or in a public sector organisation that provides certain FE type ‘training’ for apprenticeships, then it is more common to think more in terms of QTLS or ATLS qualification. Once you know this, you can make sense of the guidance on the IFL site, for example. But is important to remember that when they talk of ‘trainer’ they have a very limited conceptualisation and catchment group.

   If you are involved in things like management or interpersonal skills training, technical training to do with what your organisation delivers  or are otherwise in what most would regard as the mainstream of L&D, then I’d suggest the CiTP or equivalent is by far the most relevant and transferable .

   See also https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/188747

   Hope that helps

   Graham

2. Qualifications

   Thanks Graham,

   Some clarification at least. I can remember sometime ago talk that the CiTP/CiTD was no longer regarded as a Level 3 qualification, can you or anyone else confirm/deny? The reasoning behind teacher/trainer is that our organisation is not sure what it exactly wants, we provide professional training to staff in order for them to perform their duties. However if academic qualifications are required staff are signposted to outside FE/HE providers.

   Dyl

3. CiTP level

   Dyl

   I can confirm that CIPD foundation level qualifications such as the CiTP are level 3 qualifications (level 6 and 5 for Scotland and Ireland respectively).

   I would suggest that you discuss this with CIPD (and/or other equivalent bodies). If you and your colleagues are in mainstream L&D I would strongly suggest that this pointer towards ‘academic’ qualifications is nonsense. If you are delivering in an academic institution,  such as in an FE college, then then a qualification geared to such a role makes sense. But if you are delivering training to staff in your organisation about the job they do, then a professional training qualification would make more sense to my mind.

   Graham

4. WBL, training or education?

   To address your first point the new foundation programmes the CIPD has launched are considered as level 3 and as such are suitable as an Introductory level (e.g. someone new to delivery of training).  they also offer a level 5 as well.  In  my experience public sector emploers are asking for CIPD qualifications more often, and they generally accept this as a basic qualification in training.  However, it does not make you ‘CIPD qualified’ as this requires the Advanced Diploma at level 7.

   As for the second point having worked in FE, organisation based L&D and HE my belief would be that the qualification or training needed will mostly depend on what your organisation needs to be delievered.  If accredited awards such as BTEC are being delievered and assessed then this would probably be considered Work based learning within the FE sector and therefore the deliverer should be qualified under IfL guidelines, especially if govt funds are used (PTELLS, DTELLS, CTELLS etc).  If business focused learning and development is being delivered then CIPD style awards are probably preferred although there is no government guideline in this area as there is for WBL/FE.  Finally if it is HE then that falls under another system which is currently voluntary.

   So in essence what you want for your employees will depend on what you want to deliver. 

   You would also need to look at a cost/benefit analysis of developing your internal capacity versus using external organisations.  For example, the time and energy it takes to gain the WBL/FE sector quals is considerably more then the level 3 CIPD qualification, however it covers adult learning theory and practice in more breadth and depth. 

   If I were you I would firstly consider what the L&D needs are in my organisation, then consider the pros and cons of how these can be met (i.e. do we need employess with recognised quals or with specific skills?), then consider the costs etc of the different options.

   Best wishes

   Ainger

   Best wishes

   Ainger