I have been involved in training since 2001, both as a trainer and manager and i am now a Training & Development officer for a police division in Essex. I have an OCR qualification in teacher/training, but most of my knowledge is via web sites/scanning and experience.
i know want to develop myself and obtain more qualifications in both training and managing training.
Can anyone advise the best route or qualificatons?
Many thanks
Jayne.
jayne williams
14 Responses
Trainer qualifications
Jayne
I would recommend either the CIPD Certificate in Training Practice or the ITOL Certificate in T&D. Both provide a good grounding.
I work for the leading provider of CIPD qualifications in the public sector but it pays to look around. The ITOL web site (www.traininginstitute.co.uk)lists qualifications they accept for membership at different levels and is a good source of possibilities.
Good luck whichever route you decide upon.
Graham
Training Qualification
I strongly agree with Grahams comments. CIPD _ Cert in Training Practice is fantastic. I studied at Huddersfield some time ago and enjoyed every minute. If you study it through the CIPD it will cost you around £7K, if you study the course through a training provider it will cost you only hundreds, but you will still get your CIPD accreditation.
Also you could try the ing and Development NVQ level 4. The new criteria is much easier to follow than the old TDLB
Good Luck
Ginny
Training Qualification
I strongly agree with Grahams comments. CIPD _ Cert in Training Practice is fantastic. I studied at Huddersfield some time ago and enjoyed every minute. If you study it through the CIPD it will cost you around £7K, if you study the course through a training provider it will cost you only hundreds, but you will still get your CIPD accreditation.
Also you could try the training and Development NVQ level 4. The new criteria is much easier to follow than the old TDLB
Good Luck
Ginny
Qualifications
Jayne
A difficult decision with so many qualifications around. However, your comment that you want to “develop yourself and obtain more qualifications in both training and managing training” suggests to me that the ITOL Diploma in Training and Occupational Learning may be what you are seeking. The DipTOL qualification also meets the qualification entry criteria for Fellowship of the institute.
You can access a comprehensive programme guide on our public website at http://www.traininginstitute.co.uk
However, if you can’t attend a taught programme such as DipTOL, the post-grad Diploma and Masters degree in Training and Development from the Centre for Labour Market Studies at the University of Leicester is available via distance learning and has been highly recommended by a number of our members.
Jeffrey Brooks
Institute of Training and Occupational Learning
My Experience
Hi Jayne
I agree with all of the above. I went for the CIPD Certificate in Training Practice, try and avoid the local colleges if you can, have had bad experiences with some Cardiff and Bham based colleges. I then went onto the CIPD Professional Development Scheme, via Malpas Flexible Learning. If you can, try and get involved with a network of training professionals, as I’ve learnt lots of valuable stuff from other people in similar situations. I currently manage 4 training teams across the country for Legal & General, if you ever just want a second opinion on something drop me a line.
Thanks
Tony
tony.bulmer@landg.com
I agree, but what about some of these ‘add-ons’?
I have been in Training ( and Learning!) and Development for about 12 years now, and have two unit credits towards the old NVQ, and finally decided to start on the CIPD PDS scheme (via MOL) this year, just to prove that I could do it. The networking has been fantastic, although as a died in the wool trainer (and not really interested in the HR side, it has to be said) i wish now that i’d opted for a more specific training qualification – i understand that there is now a Diploma in Teaching Practice, one up from the CTP.
However, I look at some job adverts and wonder whether getting an accreditation in something like Psychometric Testing, or Team Profiling (eg Belbin) would make me more marketable.
Does anyone have a view on what makes a trainer/developer/facilitator more marketable to someone outside their immediate sphere?
Professional development – practical issues
Hi Jayne, I think you’ve got a really great opportunity to put your training expertise to learn about your training needs to consolidate training and management. With the wide range of training programmes I’m not surprised you’re overwhelmed by the options.
May I suggest you use your training skills to analyse your training needs to avoid paying for expensive courses you may regret at leisure.
It is worth investing 5-6 months of your time to evaluate the options that will affect your future. Contact relevant bodies, Course Tutors, find out what is on offer and what works best for you. Workshops or conferences will give you a feel for different training methods.
Research. Above all research you; type of learning experience you want, existing personal or professional support, aims, objectives, goals, budget and financial position, what you want. Don’t forget what you don’t want.
An important question to ask yourself is where you wish to be in 5 years time (without putting blocks or limitations on your imagination).
The only training route I would not consider is the NVQ path – a friend of mine doing Level 4 says it is a waste of time and resources.
If you can afford £7K for a training course, I’d go for a Masters recognised by a professional body such as the Institute of Consultants for example. As a professional management researcher, I have found that people who enjoy what they do are far more likely to succeed in everything they do.
Good wishes for your success.
Wendy
TAP
Hi Jane,
How about a course which will help to measure trainer performance to help you improve in the areas you most need help? Try our Trainer Assesment Programme, the IITT’s TAP qualification. Please view http://www.iitt.org.uk for further course information.
Experience
In answer to Ruth’s last question – I must admit that I look for evidence of training experience at different levels when recruiting externally, ideally coupled with underpinning knowledge (such as CITP, CIPD, ITOL etc…) Gaining a list of qualifications may look impressive but doesn’t necessarily mean that someone can do the job. I’m also a firm believer that if you can train, this is a transferable skill across any industry.
Career Development in Training
Just a different slant on this fascinating topic….?
I have been looking for some years for an experienced, worldy-wise management development/trainer, who also has business development skills/nous and mature client relationship management skills (admittedly in S Yorks which may not suit many for location, delightful and low cost as the area is!) and have found that really good, professional training skills coupled, with broader management *and* business development skills really quite hard to find.
If this is so for my business (a broadly-based, multi-functional management consultancy, operating UK-wide and selectively overseas, in both the public and private sectors, mainly at senior management level), then maybe this is also the case for many other such companies…?
Might this therefore suggest an unfulfilled market demand and career opportunity?
Best wishes!
Jeremy Thorn
Chairman
QED Consulting
Doncaster and London
http://www.qedconsulting.co.uk
NVQ Training & Development
As you already have the experience the NVQ in training and development is one qualification that you could takle at your own time and pace. However whilst it will prove your abilities it does not really add to them. I speak from experience as I did the NVQ3 in six weeks (whilst working full time). I still have the hernia from lifting the box of evidence I had to collect. I cannot say I learnt anything from the experience other than how to assemble evidence for an NVQ.
Regarding the reply from Jeremy Thorn, I seem to have all that he mentions and cannot seem to get an interview for a job as most employers advertise for specifics rather than multi talented individuals. As my qualifications include: MBA, NVQ3 Training and Development, C&G 7307, Diploma Management, Cert Management, Cert Marketing, Diploma in Estimating and Surveying, BTEC Law & Economics and 1995 Winner of a National Training Award, I find it difficult to advise you on what employers want.
What they seem to ask for is X years specific experience in their industry. I can only hope more people like Jeremy get involved in candidate specifications!
Qualifications
Hi Jayne,
I did the CTP a few years back and have pretty much completed the NVQ level 4 in L+D. I would disagree that it’s a waste of time but would caution you – it takes a lot of self-discipline because there are no deadlines and it no longer counts towards the licenciate level of the CIPD’s qualification ladder.
Hope that helps
Rachel
Diploma in Training & Development
Dear Jayne,
I would like to echo the comments of others regarding the benefits of the CTP programme. It was one I did a numbers of years ago and I have always benefitted from the rewards, in terms of knowledge and skills, this level of study gave me. Alternatively, if you wished to look at a method of study which is aimed at the more strategic/business side of T&D try the Malpas Diploma in Training in Development http://www.malpas.bpp.com, which may cover some broader areas for you. Of course, I am biased on the value of this programme as I Tutor on it. There are a wealth of good qualifications out there, so happy hunting and if you wish any further advice please let me know.
Best wishes Tracey
Contact
Hi Tracey
I’d appreciate a chat with you at some point, as 2 of my team are proposing to study the diploma via Malpas next year. Would like to discuss relevance, content etc…
Thanks
Tony
tony.bulmer@landg.com