Trainer Development
Train the Trainer
Our intensive Train the Trainer workshops provide trainers who teach safety and/or craft skills classes for their local with developmental training that covers effective teaching techniques, learning styles, training design, and lesson planning concepts. These rigorous, information-packed, and rewarding workshops offer the opportunity to learn and network with new and existing IATSE safety and craft skills trainers from around the US and Canada.
What Is It?
Over the years, we’ve developed several different versions of this course to meet the various training needs of locals. We’re always open to developing new courses and resources, and we currently offer three different Train the Trainer workshops.
Train the Trainer: Training Techniques
This course is a general workshop on how to prepare for and conduct successful training. Topics such as classroom management skills and presentation techniques, effective instruction, and adult learning theory will be addressed. Participants will get to directly apply and practice using these skills during the workshop with a short 15-minute section of a specific course they teach or are familiar with as a trainer.
2024 Class Schedule
Train the Trainer: Course Development
This course is designed for local trainers who are conducting one- or two-day safety or craft skills training courses they design themselves. This intensive workshop focuses on the practical application of instructional design, curriculum development theories, and concepts for making course curriculum and content learner-centered.
Local trainers will select and work on developing a specific portion of their one- or two-day course to practice applying these skills, finalize a course description and outline, begin drafting lesson plans, and create a list of materials, equipment, and resources needed for their safety or craft skills course. Trainers will receive feedback and support from the instructors and other IATSE trainers in the course. Please note that participants will not be developing an entire course, and there will only be time in this session to work on part of a single one- or two-day course being developed.
*This course does not cover classroom management skills or presentation techniques. Those topics are covered separately in the Train the Trainer: Training Techniques course, which we highly recommend trainers take before attending this course.
2024 Class Schedule
Train the Trainer: Virtual Training and Presentation Techniques
This course provides practical tips for facilitating before, during, and after a virtual class. Participants learn to plan, prepare, and set the stage for learning in a virtual classroom, including ideas for interactive learning and games. Participants will also practice new virtual training skills before returning to their local. This workshop is taught virtually and focuses on techniques that can be used for virtual training, but trainers who teach live courses may find value in the content. However, please note that their course for this workshop should be a virtual one for use in the participation portions of the workshop.
2024 Class Schedule
Who Is It For?
Our Train the Trainer courses are appropriate for new trainers and seasoned trainers, selected by their local to conduct safety or craft skills training for their local. Please refer to the course listings above for more detailed information about each course.
Is There a Cost?
Participation in any Train the Trainer course is free of charge for participants. Please refer to the course listings above for more detailed information about costs for in-person courses.
How Do We Apply?
A local union officer should download the application from the course listing linked above. The application must be filled out, signed, and submitted by an elected local union officer (i.e., president, treasurer, BA) or the training coordinator. We can't accept applications directly from individual trainers. Locals may submit applications for no more than three local trainers per workshop session. The designated local union officer should complete and submit one application for each trainer.
Space is limited, so we may not be able to enroll all trainers submitted by the local. Select IATSE workers that the local wants to develop as new safety or craft skills trainers for the local and who the local will use to conduct safety or craft skills training. Individuals who already conduct safety or craft skills training for the local are also encouraged to attend.
Note: The TTF is a labor-management ERISA fund subject to certain rules. If the course topic you submit for your trainer does not fall into a craft skills or safety training category, you will be asked to submit a different course topic. Once your application is complete with an eligible course topic, we will review it. We are unable to hold seats for trainers submitted without an eligible course topic. Course topics or segments of courses related to union leadership, union rules, union membership, steward training, and labor law cannot be part of the craft skills or safety training course you submit as part of this TTF training.
Training Report for Local Trainers
We encourage local trainers who participate in one of our Train the Trainer workshops to tell us about the safety and craft skills courses they teach after participating in a workshop. Member and Permit Orientation, Job Steward Training, and other union skills and leadership classes should not be reported here.