News

Empowerment Course on Becoming Educators and Organisers

3 - 7 November 2009 Kathmandu, Nepal.





A course on empowerment on becoming Educators and Organisers was held recently for affiliates coming from South Asia. The aim of the course was to provide the participants with training and Organising skills so that they will be able to perform the task of a trainer as well as an organiser after completing the course. The course also provides the participants with active learning skills and participatory methods in conducting effective training sessions and on how to motivate and influence members. In addition the participants will be given the opportunities to develop their organising and training skills and to apply those skills effectively and confidently in their day to day activities in the union.



Twenty eight participants took part in the programme. Five of the participants are female. The participants came from Bangladesh, India, Nepal , Pakistan and Sri Lanka and comprise of workers from finance, post, graphic, media, medical heath and property services. The average age of the group is 40.03 years.



The programme covered lectures on the following subjects:



Opening

Course Objectives and Expectations

UNI Educators Handbook/materials

Introduction/Icebreaker

Adult Learner’s profile How do adult learn?

What is – and the need of organisations?

Why union

Why organising

ILO Standards

UNI and UNI Asia Pacific Role in Globalisation

UNI Strategic Objectives

Communication Skills in Learning

Use of Equipments

visual aids

Material / Research Presentation



Planning a Session Plan

Analysing Aims & Objectives

Preparations in groups Example of themes:

Decent Work

Global Union

Union Rights

Union Servicing & Organising Models

Inter-global union co-ordination

Networking

Organising Techniques

Mapping

One on one

Anger Hope Action

Campaigns

Group Presentation

Course Review and Evaluation



The seminar room was conducive to learning. Additional rooms were provided for group work and group discussions. The lecture room was well equipped with white board, flip charts and an overhead projector screen and an LCD projector and lap tops. The participants were impressed with the materials which were distributed to them. The participants participated actively in the group work, Each group were asked to prepare a session plan for a 90 minute session and they were also asked to role play twenty minutes of the session plan as trainers who are delivering the lecture on the subject. The results of the presentations were very encouraging. Through the presentations we were able to identify a number of outstanding participants who showed strong potential to be future trainers. At the end of the project the participants were seen to have been able to do the following.



Discuss the significance of trade union in representing workers ;



Apply the communication skills that effective trainers need;



Describe basic principles of active learning that can be applied in training sessions;

Apply organizing techniques like one on one and anger hope action to mobilize and to organize workers.



Describe and practice a variety of training methods and techniques that are effective in trade union education;



Discuss ways to work with participants to create a positive atmosphere in the training room;



Use training aids and equipments effectively;



Write a short session plan;



Able to write aims and objectives;



Able to review and evaluate role play and presentations efficiently



It was a very successful course. The participants were very happy with the way the seminar was conducted. They found that though they had to work very hard in the evenings they were still able to see the city and find time to jell together in social outings and activities,. The organizers were also very pleased with the way the seminar turned out to be. They were very encouraged by the enthusiasm and the dedication of the participants who worked late hours to meet the expectations of the course.



At the closing sessions of the course the participants were presented with certificates of achievements and were well congratulated by the resource persons for their outstanding efforts and dedication. It was also a sentimental occasion as every participant stood up and made their farewell speech and to thank the UNI and UNI Apro for the learning and training experience and for the memorable and unforgettable time they spent with their brothers and sisters in the different countries.