I first wrote on this topic in a post a couple of years ago – read it here – and sadly, not much has changed since.
Einstein’s quote is still relevant …
It is the first sign of insanity to keep doing the same thing hoping for a different outcome.
In 2011 the standard for those working in a learning / training / vocational education role is the Certificate IV in Training and Education (TAE).
It seems that in order to provide workplace training of any sorts, it is obligatory if not mandatory to hold the Certificate IV. So this qualification has become a ‘must have’ in industry and in parallel with this need, the intent of the qualification has become diluted. My colleagues and I talk about this all the time. If we all had a dollar for the amount of times we have heard participants or potential trainers say ‘I just want the piece of paper’ we would all be extremely wealthy. And unfortunately this is exactly what has happened. In the quest to provide the piece of paper, industry is churning out very ordinary trainers, trainers who have no concept of engaging the learner, trainers who have no idea how to structure a piece so that it is clear to the learner what they are learning, trainers who use death by PowerPoint and over load the learner with useless and too much information.
Learning can be overt and learning can be subtle. Sometimes the best learning occurs not by what is being said but by what is not being said. How many trainers know what NOT to say? How many trainers are comfortable with silence? How many trainers provide their learners with an environment that is conducive for them to learn? How many trainers even know how their learners learn?
So here is the thing: for learning to occur, for the adult learner to be engaged and fired up about learning, for cultural and behavioural change to occur and people remain safe, we need to go Beyond Cert IV and ensure our trainers get that training is not just an event that our punters show up to and sign appropriate bits of paper, it is about an outcome. It is about visibly seeing a shift in participants after the event and that shift, adds value back to the individual and the business.
Beyond Cert IV provides ongoing professional development for workplace trainers. Click the link below for more information and contact Di Granger if you would like to participate in our upcoming workshop scheduled for 22-23rd August in Perth.
Beyond Cert IV Flyer – WA – 2011
