Peripatetic Trainers

[Kaiser]

My brigade is going down the road of having more peripatetic trainers. These are trainers that are not based at the training centre, but trainers that are getting moved out from the training centre to deliver more and more training on station.  Does anyone out there have any experience of this, I am interested in both advantages and the problems that have arisen because of this system and what was done as a solution to the problem, I would also like to know if the solutions worked.

I'm a bit on the fence with this subject due to lack of personal experience with this method, but I have been asked to give a presentation in January on these points and would really welcome other people's constructive points of view.

[Kaiser]

I take it that's a no then 

[jokar]

No ponts about trainers specifically but some things to discuss.

1. lack of continuity when delivery is undertaken at separate locations by differing trainers.
2. how do the trainers discuss things between themselves
3. are there to be regular meetings of training staff and managers to discuss issues that have arisen?
4. how do personnel on leave pick up the training?
5. are trainees expected not to take leave
6. will sick leave have an impact both for trainees and the trainers
7. has a cost benefit analysis been undertaken?
8. will the trainers specilaise and take training to locations, if so you have to take account of the boredom factor.

[Mr. P]

depends what the 'Travelling Trainer' is there for?  Is it to give specialist training - may be more effective to send one person around the stations than have crews debark to goodness knows where?  Is it to assess and ensure training being conducted on station is correct, to standard or otherwise?  A system will also be required to ensure they are maintaining standards and competencies, feedback analysis etc.

[Tom Sutton]

Many years ago we did the annual BA course on stations and a training school instructor visited each station in turn. It was a disaster first it was difficult to put the station of the run or get a stand by crew and as a result the training was constantly interrupted. There was never sufficient training facilities on stations and usually ended up as "make do and mend". Not a good idea.

[fireftrm]

We have area based trainers and I will detail how well this works and issues using Jokar's list:
1. lack of continuity when delivery is undertaken at separate locations by differing trainers. No problem as the exact same can happen with different trainers running sessions at a central point. All delivery should be QA'd and with session plans, evaluations and standard presentations. This is good practice and most is required of adult learning delivery.
2. how do the trainers discuss things between themselves Regular team meetings, emails and telephones
3. are there to be regular meetings of training staff and managers to discuss issues that have arisen? A must in any team and a requirement of all learning delivery QA systems. 4. how do personnel on leave pick up the training?
5. are trainees expected not to take leave what is this to do with it? As with any training there are always people off, for whatever reason, they must have thier input in catch up sessions (urgent, safety critical inputs). Generic, regular sessions mean some missing it is no real issue as long as they attend the next sessions6. will sick leave have an impact both for trainees and the trainers
7. has a cost benefit analysis been undertaken? The benefit is in having staff available to deliver training on site - they have to travel to stations, but the crews don't have to travel to a centre. So fewer staff and vehicle movements. Central delivery will still be required for courses with specific resource requirements. This is particularly relevant to RDS staff development. Staff payment and travelling costs are significantly reduced. So are CO2 emissions.
8. will the trainers specilaise and take training to locations, if so you have to take account of the boredom factor Boredom? I don't understand the point here. Our trainers all have a specialism [such as SWT, HVPI, Heavy Rescue Line rescue Widlfire MIRG] alongside the core BAI RTCi TVI CFBTI. They will be used for any such specialist courses but spend the majority of their time in general skills development with their allocated stations

All in all it works well and is well received by stations, especially RDS. When central courses are run, such as trainee Ff, BA, CFBT, TacVent then trainers will work at the centre.

[jokar]

John, between us we may have assisted kaiser inhis delivery and I think that was the point of thw first question.

[fireftrm]

Exactly!

[Kaiser]

Thanks a lot guys, that is exactly the sort of thing I've been looking for.  I have already made some notes on this subject and a lot of the issues raised here are pretty much what I was thinking.  At least that shows that great minds think alike. 
I will let you know how my presentation goes, I have to give it on the 13th of January as part of a promotion assessment for a Watch Manager B job.