COMPETENCY MODEL FOR TRAINERS IN THE YOUTH FIELD

 

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Currently in the field of youth work related training, more and more questions regarding thecompetencies of trainers and the quality of training courses targeted at youth and specialists working with youth keep popping up. Between 2007 and 2013, Estonia is implementing the program “Developing Youth Work Quality” co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Republic of Estonia, where the subsection Training of Trainers includes the training activities for trainers activein the youth field, encouraging the formation of trainer networks, and further internationalization. The objective is to support the competency development of trainers active in the youth field and,through that indirectly, the quality of the entire field. Therefore, under the initiative of the Estonian National Agency for Youth in Action Programme, several development seminars and meetings withrepresentatives of the field, experts and trainers have taken place. These have dealt with the quality of training courses and the competencies as well as opportunities for self-development for trainersin the youth field. In the activities conducted so far, it has become clear that there is a need tosystematize the knowledge on training courses in the youth field in order to support the development of a common understanding in the quality of training courses and competencies of trainers.

The goal of the authors of the current competency model is to create common principles inevaluating the competencies of trainers active in non-formal training courses in the youth field. First and foremost, the present model gives trainers a chance for self-assessment, thereby providing opportunities and supporting their efforts for developing their competencies. With the help of thecompetency model, trainers in the youth field are able to analyze themselves, their strengths and development perspectives and in doing so find the best ways for self-improvement. Within the framework of the ESF program “Developing Youth Work Quality”, there will also be a self-assessment instrument for trainers based on the current competency model.

At the same time, the competency model helps training course organizers and also reflects their expectations for trainers in the youth field. As one of the benchmarks in organizing high-quality training courses in the youth field, the existence of common principles regarding competencies supports the involvement of good trainers when implementing training courses. A clearer understanding of a trainer’s competencies and development opportunities, in turn, enhances transparency among the community of trainers and creates a valid basis for recognizing trainers inthe youth field. Therefore, the competency model supports the quality of training courses in the youth field also in a wider sense.

The current competency model focuses on the competencies of trainers in the youth field in the context of non-formal training courses, since the principles for evaluating academic personnel arecovered in the University Teacher Competency Model (with the support of Archimedes Foundation, Primus Program 2010). In order to guarantee stronger coherence in the field at large, the current competency model also holds relevance for people connected to the youth field in formal education, including developers and implementers of the youth work curriculum at Tallinn Pedagogical College, Narva College of the University of Tartu, and Viljandi Culture Academy of the University of Tartu. Furthermore, many trainers simultaneously work in the context of non-formal training courses as well as formal education.

In creating the competency model, different direct (learners, trainers, trainers of trainers, mentors, training organizers etc.) and indirect interest groups (funders, youth work and youth policy makers, society at large) have been taken into consideration. The competency model has been based on the following (unfortunately most of them in Estonian):

1. Thematic discussions at meetings and seminars of trainers in the youth field organized by the Estonian National Agency for Youth in Action Programme (26.06.2009, 4.11.2009, 1-2.12.2009, 17.12.2009, 26.08.2010, 15.12.2010) 
2. Principles for non-formal learning in training courses in the youth field (working version,J une, 2010), Estonian National Agency for Youth in Action Programme 
3. The Professional Qualification of Adult Educator/ Andragogue 
4. University Teacher Competency Model 
5. Professional Standard of Youth Workers 
6. Estonian Youth Work Strategy 2006-2013 
7. Youth Work Act of Estonia (2010) 
8. The National Curriculum for Upper Secondary Schools (2011), RT I, 14.01.2011, 2
9. Web portal for non-formal learning, www.mitteformaalne.ee
10. The eight key competencies for lifelong learning: An appropriate framework within which todevelop the competence of trainers on the field of European youth work or just plainpolitics? - Hendrik Otten and Yael Ohana (2009) 
11. TALE – Trainers for Active Learning in Europe - competency model and guide for self-assessment based on the long-term pan-European training of trainers (2009-2010)
12. Useful key competences for adult learning professionals - Broeck, S. (2010)
13. Expert opinions: Marin Gross (Tallinn University, department of Andragogy), Aivar Haller (trainer and mentor), Reet Kost (Estonian National Agency for Youth in Action Programme).

The competency model was compiled by Piret Jeedas (NGO Ruumiloojad) and Ülly Enn (Estonian National Agency for Youth in Action Programme). The authors wish to thank everyone who contributed to creating the competency model for trainers in the youth field and encourage the use and dissemination of its contents with respective references to source. The translation to English language has been done by Kadri Ollino, proofreading by Tiia Falk and Ülly Enn.

Competency Model for Trainers in the Youth Field is the initiative of the Estonian National Agency forYouth in Action Programme in the framework of the program “Developing Youth Work Quality”subsection Training of Trainers, co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Republic of Estonia.