Are there any colleges or institutions that specialise in training trainers? There are teacher training colleges, but I have not heard of "trainer training colleges". Trainers can be subject experts, but to convey that information well is a skill. Where do you learn that skill?
The reason I ask is that we as a training and communications consultancy provide programmes, materials and software to trainers in industry and other sectors. I would like to let them know about a new web-based version of our authoring system, Seminar (voted by TrainingZone as "probably the most user friendly friendly presentation system.") Seminar enables you to write your own CBT training and assessment programmes. I then thought that it would be a very useful tool for training the trainers themselves, hence my query.
All suggestions gratefully received.
Cathy Curwood, Information Transfer
Cathy Curwood
6 Responses
Thjere are a number of "Train the Trainer" course prov
I know of a number of “Train the Trainer” course providers but not of any “Train the Trainer” colleges.
Trainers can take the NVQ route. Most trainers I know have learned their skills from “Off the job” courses, in house courses and coaching.
Maybe you have spotted an opportunity here which you can link to your software?
Trainer Training
Try getting a list of “Trainer Training” courses from CIPD. I did my Cert in Training and Development many years ago (when it was still ITD)and that taught me all the key skills.
As well as the Cert Level there are likely to be lots of short and not always accredited trainer training courses.
Train The Trainer
There are plenty of colleges that do acredited trainer qualifications. Ask around your local colleges to see what is on offer. You need to be looking at things like the RSA Teacher/Trainer Certificate in IT or the RSA Teacher/Trainer Diplomer in IT. There are also City & Guilds available that cover Adult training and training in the work place and the Cert Ed qualification which covers training as a whole (Technique etc) rather than concentrating on IT specifically.
Mind you there are also a lot of companys that would rather have a user who thinks they can train rather than a certified trainer who can train any subject matter they use.
Training the Trainer
I work in a Further Education College and, although we don’t actually specialise in Train the Trainer programmes, this is an area I am keen to develop. I’ve been involved in training trainers for more years than I care to remember and am always looking for new and interesting ideas, so would like to know more about your system.
GO for CIPD courses
From Training Design to Participative methods and interaction with many other trainers , l have have learnt new and consolidated old techniques ,so that when developing my own ‘Train the Trainer’ course it is now more interactive and lively for the group, but more specific for their individual needs.
I think you have found a niche in the market !
Good luck !
Courses are available
There are a number of course that deal with ‘training the trainers’. The local college that I work in run two versions of the city and guilds 7307 qualification. The learning content & assessment criteria are the same, the difference is that one version of the course is geared to those that work within colleges, companys etc, the one that I have done completed the first level of and am now working through the second, is geared to those trainers that work within the delivery of community based learning.
This version is currently highly sought after.