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MrsBlue  
#1 Posted : 23 January 2014 12:33:22(UTC)
Rank: Guest
Guest

My company employs a former fire fighter whose last job before retirement was fire safety. In another life he has taught fire safety and fire warden training. Can I utilise this guy's expertise to deliver training or does he or the course need to be certificated? Cheers Rich
David Bannister  
#2 Posted : 23 January 2014 12:39:46(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
David Bannister

Your own choice. Questions for you to answer: Is he any good? What is your policy on using external experts? Does the audience "get it"? Is there a standard or academic Level that needs to be achieved? Is he delivering his own material, yours or somebody else's.
SW  
#3 Posted : 23 January 2014 12:40:56(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
SW

I would definitely make use of this person's skills even if they do not have any training / teaching formal qualifications.
Frank Hallett  
#4 Posted : 23 January 2014 13:06:56(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Frank Hallett

Hi Rich - in answer to your questions:- 1 - neither your trainer nor the course itself legally require any form of certification. 2 - just because he was a firefighter who taught fire safety and fire warden stuff doesn't mean that he's actually competent to do either. 3 - is he sufficiently knowledgable with regard to current law and practical aplication of it? 4 - what do you require of your fire wardens anyway? There is no legal definition of the term nor what they might be required to do so you should ensure that any training is explicit to what yours actually do. Frank Hallett
MrsBlue  
#5 Posted : 23 January 2014 13:24:45(UTC)
Rank: Guest
Guest

Good points Frank and thanks to everyone who has offered advice. We are getting overloaded in our current premises and certain staff are moving to new offices. Some of the staff moving are fire warden trained for the building they are leaving so I will have to organise training to cover the old building as well as the new. I will have to check all your points Frank Rich
jonpsych  
#6 Posted : 24 January 2014 08:50:03(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
jonpsych

Whether the person needs to be qualified to teach the courses you want depends on the course but I would urge you to get the person onto a teacher training course specifically for teaching adults. I have never met anyone whose classroom performance is not enhanced by going through some form of teacher training - those who believe that the teacher only needs to know the subject they are teaching not how to communicate that knowledge are condemning their staff to a poor learning experience.
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