This year, the amount of professional development offerings for trainers, RTO managers and practitioners has been significantly more than in the past, with a variety of topics and delivery modes. But before you decide your 2021 PD plan, are you giving thought to your own learning needs and interests while reviewing your organisation’s requirements?
Considering current business and economic challenges for training organisations, expansion of fast-paced technology and evolution of quality-compliance requirements for RTOs, commitment to this profession means that continual development is no longer optional. Instead, it’s a necessity for your long-term survival and future success.
Positioning your self for career progress, emphasising different skill sets, or expanding your work opportunities within vocational education and training, requires performance excellence. In fact, this is one way of taking control of your career.
Organisations and staff members undertake professional development activities for a number of reasons, including to:
- Keep skills and competencies current
- Meet employer expectations for participation in professional growth
- Meet regulatory requirements
- Address performance gaps
- Exploit business opportunities
- Acquire leadership and management expertise for advancement opportunities
- Maintain industry currency and be knowledgeable of latest trends, resources and tools
- Add credentials to your résumé for a competitive edge, and
- Expand employment and career options.
Your learning plan consists of five basic elements that, when considered as a complete unit will meet work needs and accomplish future career goals. Consider the following questions when identifying a specific learning activity, site and delivery method:
- Why do you want to learn? What are your reasons for this desire? For example, you want to perform tasks that are more challenging or plan to shift to external consulting.
- What will you learn? What is the subject matter? For example, you plan to update a competency (i.e. use online teaching tools, recordkeeping, RTO compliance, competency-based assessments), expand your knowledge base of methodology or add another tool to your resources.
- Will learning be formally structured? Will you receive accreditation? For example, learning will confer a qualification, skill set or unit of competency.
- How will learning be delivered? What method or techniques will be used? For example, you will use online training or traditional workshop structure.
- When will you learn? What is the timeframe? For example, you will start in two months and complete in twelve weeks or you will attend a one-day professional development workshop organised by Insources Group.
Another consideration is assessing your personal and family lifestyle, including such items as schedules, responsibilities, priorities, free time and so forth.
Trainers and assessors (and all practitioners responsible for designing and developing training and assessment strategies and resources) must provide training and education that is current and relevant to industry. It is important these people stay on the cutting-edge of their industry to produce competent and competitive graduates. VET practitioners must make professional development a priority for achieving continual efficiency, currency and awareness of new standards and technologies.
No matter where you are in your career, continual professional growth is essential to maintain your relevance, in tune with industry and learners’ needs, and prevent career burnout.
Insources Group has an extensive offering of webinars, workshops, online courses, summits and conferences to support VET practitioners development.
