Managing the Training Function: Academy Administration and Instructor Development

Significant and ongoing change in society and the workplace dictate the need for special talents and abilities on the part of those administering training at every level of law enforcement. The time when an organization arbitrarily assigns someone to be a “training manager” should be over. Recent events and litigation, especially scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Justice, have demonstrated once again, that the training responsibility reaches well beyond the walls of the classroom or academy setting. This intensive four-day program will identify and enhance the skills necessary to succeed in this rapidly changing and challenging environment.

Topics

• Tools of the Trade - The topics selected for the tools of the trade are areas that provide specific and relative information in order to be successful in that position of agency responsibility. The instruction will provide the manager a framework in which will assist them in outlining their specific work day as well as the future of the training function within their organization. Topics range from how to build internal support; boundary management; project and research management; building a training schedule; understand their licensing authorities (POSTS); identification and selection of training staff; standard operating procedures; as well as other areas of importance in the life a of a training manager.

• Employee Relations (EEOC) - With a significant number of EEOC complaints coming from the public safety, this block of instructions will familiarize new training managers with the concept of organizational liability and how to minimize risk; the concept of workplace retaliation and the consequences thereof.  Participants will learn components for developing and creating a workplace environment that promotes the prevention discrimination and retaliation.

• Budgeting - Participants will learn their role as officials in the budget process; learn several different budgeting formats; identify methods for supplementing their budget and learn identify cost saving initiatives that may be used in their organization.

• Personnel and Training Liability Issues - This block of instruction will orient participants with law enforcement trainer’s legal responsibilities and accountability. Participants will first be taught ethical leadership principles as a guide for creating a positive training environment; followed by case studies of high risk instructional behavior; review of selected federal statutes; selected constitutional amendents; the US Supreme Court Standards for Use of Force and Case Law Updates.

• Teaching to the Nexus - This block of instruction builds on the adult education section. Any classroom will usually present to several types of learners. This section encourages and demonstrates to participants how to teach to all learning styles during a block of instruction in order to maximize learning. This is call “Teaching to the Nexus”.

• Principles of Adult Education - This section will describe the varieties of ways adults learn, and identify teaching methods (andragogy) to facilitate learning. Theories such as Transformational Learning, Affective Learning, Psychomotor Learning, Cognitive Learning and Generation Based-Teaching will be discussed.

*Topics and/or instructors may change based on instructor availability.