Introduction
General Background
For a number of years, the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS)
has directly or indirectly funded professional development events for Workplace
Education Practitioners across Canada. The majority of these programs were
developed to expand the local capacity to address industry's Workplace
Education needs. Despite the fact that these programs were developed to meet
local needs however, research shows that there are significant similarities
between the different training opportunities across the country. Common issues
and interests have also become apparent at national and international
conferences, through listservs and through networking with colleagues in
related training fields.
The increase in professional development opportunities has been
accompanied by a growing interest in more formal recognition of skills and
accumulated experience. On the one hand, this may be a consequence of the
current focus on quality or performance standards in industry and the
much-discussed certification of other industry trainers and consultants.
However, it also reflects the Workplace Education Practitioners' interest in
professionalism ("best practices") and in more advanced professional
development opportunities.
The discussion of practitioner training efforts, "best
practices" or recognition of expertise raises a number of interesting
questions. These questions become particularly significant if issues of
training and recognition begin to be considered at a larger-than-local
level:
- Who is a "Workplace Education Practitioner"? Do
practitioners in various regions define their roles the same way? What
contributes to the differences and similarities?
- How have Workplace Education Practitioners developed their
expertise and skill? How have formal and informal learning contributed to
skill-building? What methods of professional development are seen as most
effective?
- What makes for a "good" Workplace Education Practitioner?
What knowledge, competencies and aptitudes are valued by different
stakeholders? How would these be related to a definition of "best practices"
for the field?
- What is considered a sound and effective way of recognizing
existing skills and experience? How can recognition models be constructed to
remain true to fundamental principles of adult learning? How can it be ensured
that "recognition" does not become an end in itself?
- Are there in fact enough commonalties in existing
professional development/recognition efforts to warrant the development of a
unifying, national perspective? How can national communication between
Workplace Education Practitioners be improved?
- Which stakeholders would have to be involved in these
discussions?
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