A workshop for potential trainers hosted by the Press Institute in Ulaan Baatar to acquire knowledge and skills to carry out effective training.Those invited to participate are from Mongolia Public Radio and Television (MNPRT) TV5 Television and the Press Institute.

Mongolian media specialists trained as trainers
By Prof Drew McDaniel, Consultant

A total of 13 trainers and instructors from varied media fields took part in an AIBD workshop on Training of Trainers in July 2008. The course was hosted by the Mongolian Press Institute in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and enrolled participants from the Institute, its School of Journalism, and Mongolian National Broadcaster. The aim of the workshop was the development of skills needed for both formal and on-the-job training situations. The resource person for the activity was Professor Drew McDaniel of Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA.

This course was aimed at enhancing training that goes on in the workplace, where staff members get most of their knowledge about their jobs. Specifically, the course was intended to train participants to be able to design, plan, and conduct training activities related to their professional specialization. Most daily work in the workshop involved practical projects, based upon state of the art training methods. Presentations on such topics as, training theories, cognition and memory, and specialized training techniques were also included.

The course began with an analysis of the work that trainers do—the skills needed, the knowledge required, the personal attributes, and so on. The remainder of the first week was devoted to an examination of the fundamentals of training design and planning. The entire workshop was founded on the principles of Training by Objectives. In this approach, training is designed to reach specific, measurable goals and to overcome deficiencies in performance. Topics included job analysis, analysis of performance discrepancies, training objective preparation, and the design of training programmes.

The workshop emphasized the importance of placing training within the larger mission of media organizations—human resource development in the form of training must yield a tangible benefit for both the individual involved and the enterprise itself. The importance of recognizing elements of organizational culture in the planning of training programs was also stressed.

The needs for media training in Mongolia are growing because of the increasing number of outlets, the introduction of new technologies across the country, and because of a recently-enacted law converting the state broadcaster into a public service broadcasting organization Mongolian National Broadcaster. Prior to the beginning of the workshop, Professor McDaniel conducted a rapid training needs assessment at MNB to aid in the development of training plans for the newly restructured organization.

Last updated 17.09.08 23:41 by Manil