Suggested Next Steps
After the two days of sessions, participants suggested that,
while a number of significant initiatives were already underway to address
regional training and recognition needs, it would be valuable to conduct some
basic research at a national level. Increased communication between
practitioners in different roles and regions was also considered important.
To those ends, it was suggested that the NLS might undertake
projects which would:
- Conduct a demographic study of Workplace Education
Practitioners including information on: diversity of roles and contexts,
numbers of practitioners, hours worked, education, years of experience, types
of experience, specializations, etc.
- Document past and present professional development paths
focusing on entry into the field, professional development, formal and informal
means of expertise-building, training needs and interests (present and future),
etc.
- Research and/or develop inventories of competencies and
aptitudes that have proven valuable to practitioners in various roles and
contexts.
- Consider professional standards and/or best practices in
related areas such as literacy, ESL, adult education or industrial training to
see whether certain aspects might be applicable to Workplace Education
Practitioners. In particular the 1995 "Best Practices" document released by the
NLS and ABC CANADA was to be reviewed.
- Develop a national communications infrastructure, tapping
into existing networks and setting up conference mechanisms such as listservs,
chat-rooms, and bulletin boards.
- Encourage discussions on the intricacies of practitioner
development and recognition in local and/or regional forums.
Forward direction in a timely manner was important to this
group. Participants indicated that they would be interested in addressing at
least some of the suggestions within the next year. |