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In-company trainers as key drivers of quality 95

integrate diverse support services and incentives to promote learning, and
make use of non-formal and informal learning in the workplace. Guidance
may channel individuals into validation processes for the competences
they have gained through life and work, bringing a positive impact on their
personal and career development, and increasing motivation for continuing
learning. Within lifelong learning strategies, governments, social partners
and enterprises should increase efforts to make guidance and validation
arrangements available to employees.

Trainers ensure the quality of continuing training
and should not be neglected

The success of lifelong learning strategies and employment agendas require
expanding access to learning opportunities in the workplace and demand that
trainers are supported throughout their careers to upgrade their specialist
and pedagogical knowledge and skills. Factors influencing training include
technological innovation, changes in work organisation within companies,
the demand for more efficiency, effectiveness and quality assurance, and the
policy objective to support learning for an increased variety of target groups
who have specific needs, such as older workers. Trainers in companies are
changing roles and might need to possess a new set of knowledge and skills
to cope with an enlarged range of challenges and demands. At sector and
national level, a number of initiatives are being taken to increase the status
and define minimum competence requirements for trainers, in an open and
flexible manner, through competence standards and continuing training, or
through more formalised processes that can lead to trainers certification.
Subsidising mechanisms for continuing training in enterprises are already
considering in-company trainers as one of their targets, to familiarise them
with emerging changes in particular sectors, which could be considered as
good practice in ensuring the relevance of training. Professionalising trainers
is a challenging enterprise, given that many employees who undertake
training tasks in enterprises do not have a strong professional identity as
‘trainers’. The training and professional development of trainers require
further strategic action, as well as imaginative and flexible approaches, since
trainers are the champions of quality in continuing training.