Training of Trainers

PDCS makes a concentrated effort in preparation of trainers, lecturers and consultants, as well as development of materials applicable in their work. Our understanding of training and consulting is not narrow as a collection of methods and skills but rather we perceive them as forms of participatory learning in the context of social development. When we speak of training of trainers (or training of consultants), we use the expression most frequently used in our context (the acronyms T4T or ToT are also used), even if it would be more accurate to speak of learning on learning, or learning by practise. In the methodology of acquiring new knowledge and skills in adulthood we emphasize active approach of the learner. We focus our efforts on lifelong learning. Our understanding of training and consulting is not narrow (in the sense of a collection of given procedures and skills), but rather we view them as forms of participative education in the context of social development.

In our programs we concentrate on individual level – on how to improve ways of learning in long-term participative activities (training series, couching or workshops of various kinds) in both formal and nonformal education. We also use system-level effective ways for acquiring knowledge and skills at the level of organization. (Participative processing of educational plans, designing of educational plans for public organizations or companies, organizational changes towards "a learning organization", "knowledge management" systems, and "community of practice" approaches in networks of organizations.)

Examples of our projects and activities

In the past 10 years, PDCS implemented six 18- to 24-month-long series (of around 120 hours) and more than 10 middle-term training series (72 hours)of specialized training for trainers, lecturers, and consultants. In these long-term training series, we gradually move the focus from trainers to consultants for the nonprofit, public and business sector. Initially, these series were offered only to participants from Slovakia, but soon we conducted similar training series also in neighboring countries.

In 2007 we provided long-term accredited training of trainers series for dozens of trainers or lecturers at the request of:

ALK (Association of Lecturers and Consultants of Northern Moravia, Czech Republic, project financed by the European Social Fund)

AGNES (lecturers and consultants working for nonprofit organizations in the region of Central Czech Republic, project financed by the European Social Fund)

SŠS (Educational Services Center) - (lecturers and educational consultants working for schools and community organizations in Souther Moravia, project financed by the European Social Fund)

NOS-OSF experts working for programs of the Open Society Foundation Slovakia

Planned Parenthood Society - lecturers and consultants working with topics of gender equality and health prevention.

In recent years we continue to provide more training courses for trainers, coaches and consultants working for mid-size and large international companies.

Since 2006 we have conducted a specific form of education for teachers in interactive teaching methods as part of a two-year program in the Arts Management project JPD3 for the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague.

This program area is covered in PDCS by:

Our experience

Arts Management project of the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague (VŠUP) develops the concept of developing soft skills (project management, project-oriented thinking, team building, etc.) for students, lecturers and prospective lecturers of VŠUP. The project enriches the curriculum for Master-level students of all specializations at VŠUP. As part of this project, PDCS actively participates in the development and pilot testing of the course "Arts Management" for students and lecturers of VŠUP. PDCS also helps build a personnel, technical and informational basis for teaching this specialization in other schools in Prague and the Czech Republic.

Long-term education of consultants between 1996 and 2006 was provided to over 300 participants who now work as trainers and consultants, strengthening the various aspects of capacity of civil society organizations in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. These long-term training series were conducted by over twenty in-house and contracted lecturers of PDCS. It was possible to run the training series of such comprehensiveness thanks to grant funding from the Mott Foundation, Embassy of Canada, Open Society Foundation Slovakia, Open Society Foundation Prague, Civil Society Development Foundation Slovakia, Matra Program of the International Youth Foundation Slovakia, and Via Foundation. Most of the Slovak attendees of these training series became members of self-help TAK Association - Association of Trainers and Consultants, publishing TAK Newsletter and meeting at supervision meetings and seminars.

In 2003 we have finished education of the first trainees group of The Development School with the postgradual certificate from the Metropolitan University of North London.

Similarly, we have conducted also series of training for trainers in the Balkans, Caucas region and in Central Asia (e.g. in Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Lithuania, Kazachstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, etc.)

Publications

In the subject of training for trainers we have prepared several publications:

Ondrušek, D., Labáth, V.: Training? Training./ (Tréning? Tréning.), PDCS, 2007

Ondrušek, D., Potočková, D., Hipš, J.: Education Towards Tolerance by Game/ (Výchova k tolerancii hrou), PDCS, 2007

Ondrušek a kol.: Training by game/ (Tréning hrou), PDCS, 1998, 2000

Kušnieriková a kol.: Roma, Education, Third Sector/ (Rómovia-vzdelávanie-tretí sektor), PDCS, 2001

kol.: Educational needs of Czech and Slovak NGO sector/ (Vzdelávacie potreby českého a slovenského tretieho sektora), PDCS, 2001