Learning and Development for your Training and Competency Co-ordinators
We are often asked what learning and development options are available for employees working as Training Co-ordinators.
The starting point is always to understand your objectives for your training co-ordinator as well as their experience in the role.
Therefore, we usually start by asking:
- How do you see the role developing?
- What do you need them to be aware of, understand or be able to do at this stage?
- What do you need them to be able to do in the future?
- Are there any areas that need addressing immediately?
Training co-ordinators can come into their role from a variety of backgrounds and can equally have different aspirations for their own development.
Looking at a specific scenario helps to create a picture of what training or qualifications might be good to consider, over and above the day to day on the job training.
Scenario: New Training & Competency Co-ordinator
Your team member has joined from an administrative background so training and competency is very new.
In the short term, you want them to:
- Have good awareness of training and competency
- Be able to liaise with the people needing training
- Be able to communicate and negotiate with department managers
- Know how to manage their own work and influence others to get what they need done
Over time, you will perhaps want them to:
- Build an understanding of the training needs of different individuals or teams
- Know what to look for in training
- Be able to see past glossy brochures or websites and identify which training solutions will be the best fit
- Be able to review the training in the short and medium term so that they can judge when training and development has been effective
If you have a competency management system or assessment process in place, then a good working knowledge of competency, and the key roles and main priorities within a competency management system would be good.
Our Suggestion
In this situation, we would suggest a learning and development plan similar to the following:
- Firstly consider whether your Training Co-ordinator has the essential skills of communication, is able to manage their own work, knows how to work with others to get the right solutions and is able to use coaching skills as part of their role.
- For those that need to understand competency management systems, we would suggest an awareness of what is involved in competency management as well as the key roles of assessing and verification.
- You could then consider a SQA Learning & Development Level 3 qualification. This takes the learner through the key stages of the learning and development cycle covering topics such as:
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- Identifying learning and development needs
- Developing and planning learning resources and training
- Engaging and supporting learners
- Developing and maintaining their own skills in learning and development
- Delivering training to groups
- Training individuals
- Assessing competence
- Evaluating learning and development
The topics selected will be based on the mandatory requirements of the qualification as well as the individual’s job role and opportunity to demonstrate their ability in each of the areas.
