Back when I was still at the department, I was fortunate to have a boss that believed in training, and doing things right. He encouraged me and all of the other trainers to seek out training opportunities for ourselves. If there had been more money, he would have been sending us to national conferences, in order to soak up whatever we could, and bring it back to share with our people. Some of us had to burn vacation time, and spend our own money when we were able to, but he still supported us when he could.
Like I said, I was lucky.
In a few days, the 2008 ILEETA conference will be held in the Chicago area. For those of you that have been there, it's an amazing get together: over 700 trainers from all over the world, meeting to discuss the training of criminal justice professionals, and to attend classes and instructor certification courses. There's nothing like it anywhere.
Unfortunately, many of the trainers that I talk to will not be attending this year - and maybe any other year either. Here's the way it usually goes:
Me: "Hey, do you belong to ILEETA?"
Them: "What's ILEETA?"
Me: "The International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association." It’s a great organization. We have a great conference where you can get lots of stuff, and interact with all of your fellow trainers. We also have a great website with lots of free stuff you can download, and free publications, and a member's forum, and other great resources."
Them: "Nah. I don't belong. My boss won't pay for it."
Usually, at this point, I don't quite know what to say. While I understand how it's not possible for many trainers to attend a conference half-way across the country without having it paid for by their department (that can get expensive, fast), I'm not sure I can understand why somebody truly committed to what they are doing for their people wouldn't fork out less than $50 annually for a membership.
The fact is that money is tight for everybody - I know that. But, I also know that if you're not lucky enough to have a boss like I had, you need to work on getting involved in organizations and associations. That is where you get your resources and ideas. That is where you make connections with other trainers, and that is where you recharge your batteries.
This isn't to beat you, or anyone else, up for not getting involved. But there is a definite downside if you're not. This is especially true if you are a one-person show, as in the only trainer at your department. Where will you get new ideas? Who will you brainstorm with? Who will you run that new course of fire past, or try out that new video on?
Here's the thing: Once upon a time, we could fake it... I know I had to. Back when I was doing in-house training at my department we didn't have many sources for information. We often had to make it up as we went along. Nowadays, that's almost never the problem. You're more likely to run into the problem of "too much stuff". Then you have to sort through it and figure out what's righteous and what's not.
Have you ever been in a class, listening to an instructor who clearly had not checked out the material he or she was teaching?
As a risk manager, one of the things I see all the time is a focus on training. People (i.e. lawyers) expect you to do it. And, while it might not be the central issue in most lawsuits, it sure is looked at closely. You need to have your ducks-in-a-row when they come asking about the training you've been doing. Belonging to an organization like ILEETA, and even attending the conference - if at all possible - is one of the ways you can make that happen.
If you're not going to the conference this year, it's probably a little late now to start thinking about it. But, it's not too late to plan for next year. April, 2009, in the Chicago area. Join 750 of your closest training friends. Learn, enjoy, recharge your batteries.
Stay safe, and wear your vest! (and Buckle Up!)
