The Foundation for Human Resources Development, in collaboration with WorkAssist - Staff Support and Development Services, is launching a new initiative for the continuous professional development of trainers and facilitators of adult learning.
Using the "train" metaphor, train(er)s can be seen as train drivers taking a group of people on a journey towards a new destination with a specific aim; in other words they facilitate change.
Passengers travel for a variety of reasons and get various experiences throughout the journey. The train needs regular fuel and maintenance, it is the train driver's responsibility to make the journey as pleasant and fruitful as possible, and most important to keep the train safely on its tracks!
The central aim of creating the TRAIN programme is to provide an opportunity for trainers to meet, share resources and ideas, and support each other in their professional development.
The programme runs on two key concepts: 1) creating a resource network; and 2) promoting innovation in training. The TRAIN programme has the following objectives:
• to provide ongoing professional support and development for trainers;
• to serve as a unique opportunity for trainers to discuss specific difficulties and challenges encountered in their work, and explore ways of managing them. These include common issues, like working with resistance in training, managing challenging interventions from participants, building rapport, designing participant-relevant programmes, and many more;
• to learn and practise innovative training skills, techniques and approaches, and practise already known ones in a safe non-threatening environment. These include learning and practising various experiential learning activities, creating effective programme designs, applying techniques from Neuro Linguistic Programming, and other approaches to training, working with different intelligences, including emotional intelligence, addressing the various learning styles and integrating them in programme design, and many other creative and innovative ways of facilitating learning in ways that make it fun, intriguing and transferable to daily life;
• to receive valuable feedback from fellow professionals on training practices;
• to serve as a network of resources and information that can be shared among trainers in an atmosphere of collegiality; and
• to gain increasingly deeper insight and understanding into the psychology of human behaviour and motivation in group learning contexts and learn how to maximise and optimise learning environments.
The TRAIN programme is open to people who are involved and experienced in training adults in organisations and feel confident that they can benefit from the enriching experience provided by this initiative.
The sessions are planned to run on a monthly basis for three hours each. Group size will be limited to 15 participants to ensure high levels of interaction.
The programme will be facilitated by psychologist and training consultant Patrick J. Psaila, who has been working with organisations for the past 14 years after he graduated in psychology from the University of Malta in 1991. In 1997 he completed an academic and practical Masters programme in Adult and Group Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Patrick is also a licensed practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming from the Irish Institute NLP in Dublin and is a member of the Society of NLP, the largest and oldest NLP training body in the world.
Patrick works with various large and medium-sized organisations involved in manufacturing, education, health, tourism, banking, and other services as a trainer, consultant, and psychologist. At present, he has a client base of over 60 organisations, offering 18 different training programmes.
Patrick specialises in personal and professional development for managers and leaders in organisations, with a particular interest in emotional intelligence and leadership. He has established WorkAssist as a professional service that offers personal and professional development programmes, counselling, coaching, mentoring and HR consultancy.
Patrick lectures at the University of Malta, the Malta Institute of Management and the Foundation for Human Resources Development. He has also trained various professionals in designing and delivering training programmes, counselling skills, and mentoring.
The TRAIN programme will be launched on October 10 between 5.30 and 7 p.m. at the FHRD premises. During the session, Patrick will present and explain the TRAIN programme as well as provide participants with an opportunity to sample an experience from it.
The session is open to trainers and facilitators of adult learning, HR professionals and leaders in organisations who are interested in further developing their trainers.