“Training the trainers” — the larger picture for preregistration tutors
In this article, Peter Burley, head of preregistration at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, puts the Society's “Training the trainers” package for preregistration tutors into the context of the wider picture of education and training
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s pilot
course for training preregistration tutors (PJ, 12 May
2007, p567) has generated a great deal of interest. Provision
for those who teach, assess, mentor or supervise students and trainees
in the workplace falls under the rubric of “training for trainers”.
It
is a well-established activity in further and higher education, although
the Society has previously deferred to others to provide it for its own
tutors. (The tutor sessions that were run in the past by the Society
were not meant to be interactive learning events, so did not really qualify
as meeting this particular need.)
A trainer in a profession is someone who wants to make a contribution
to that profession and to its future. Lynsey Cleland, the Society’s
former head of ethics, explains: “Previously there was no explicit
ethical commitment for pharmacists about training the next generation
but, as from 1 August 2007 pharmacists are required to ‘contribute
to the development, education and training of colleagues and students,
sharing
relevant knowledge, skills and expertise’.”
Tutors, by definition,
will meet this requirement but then they will make a much more significant
contribution to the profession over and above it. The overall scope
of training for trainers includes:
• Educational theory and psychology
• Training methods
• Self-reflection and evaluation
• The practice of teaching and assessment
• Design and development of training programmes
• Counselling and coaching
• The range of activities under the heading “leadership”
From her perspective as the all-Wales principal pharmacist for education,
training and personal development, Lynne Bollington comments: “For
tutors all this activity rests on the foundation of their expertise and
professionalism in the practice of pharmacy, and which is supported by
the Society’s continuing professional development scheme and by
pharmacy employers’ in-house training and development.”
Training for trainers is delivered in a wide range of settings — and
by every type of organisation involved with pharmacy — from formal
academic courses, often at postgraduate certificate or diploma level,
to in-service training and on to self-directed distance learning. The
Society’s contribution is a modest one. There is, however, general
agreement that interactive, face-to-face teaching is especially important
in training for trainers.
This is the broad canvas on which we can place the Society’s pilot
event-cum-course this year. The pilot is carefully chosen and focused,
dealing only with workplace assessments. It addresses just one element
of the competences that a preregistration tutor needs and the preparation
needed for the role.
Also, at this stage the pilot is operating outside any formal credit
rating or accreditation frameworks, but it will be relevant to the Society’s
CPD scheme.
Nicola Tyers, the Society’s preregistration manager, concludes: “Where
the Society goes from here will be informed by the outcome of the pilot,
so we would like to express our gratitude to all those who have taken
such interest in participating and helping us with this important developmental
work.”
More details about the pilot will be published next week |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal