Tips for Finding Facilitation Work: Train

Finding Facilitation Work. As a result of the incentives the government provides, the training sector has immense growth potential. However, employment is often haphazard for even the most expert facilitator, assessor and moderator.

Find Facilitation Work in the Training Sector

The training sector in South Africa is diverse, with a range of public and private organizations offering various skills development programs. The government has also implemented various initiatives aimed at increasing the skills of the workforce, making the skills development sector an attractive area for employment.

Facilitators play an important role in the delivery of skills development programs and there is a demand for individuals with the skills and expertise to facilitate training and workshops. These individuals can explore job opportunities in private training providers, corporate training departments, government-funded skills development initiatives, and non-profit organizations.

Practical Advice for Facilitators

How to Become Registered Facilitators

2023 Guide: Become a Facilitator, Assessor & Moderator

ETDPSETA Facilitator Training Courses

Education Vacancies in 2023

If you want to find consistent work, enter the skills development space by becoming SETA registered.

Complete ETDPSETA accredited facilitator, assessor and moderator training.
Once certified for these programmes apply to be a constituent assessor and moderator at the SETAs aligned to your expertise.
Once you are registered as a constituent assessor and moderator, promote yourself to training companies.

Facilitators can explore job opportunities in the skills development sector

Take these steps to promote yourself in the industry:

Build a strong personal brand: Develop a strong online presence through professional social media profiles and a portfolio showcasing your skills and experience.
Networking: Attend industry events, connect with individuals in the sector, and reach out to potential employers directly.
Updating skills and knowledge: Continuously update your skills and knowledge to stay relevant and competitive in the sector.
Specializing in a particular area: Consider specializing in a specific area, such as a particular industry or subject matter, to increase your marketability.
Seeking out freelance opportunities: Consider taking on freelance facilitator roles to gain experience and build a portfolio of clients.

The training sector appears to be characterised by two typical business models, each posing barriers to success for the training experts. Below is a basic description of the two typical business models that have gained traction in a highly competitive market. These models are discussed below.

Two Training Business Models

These two types of business models are not based on any kind of literature research in the field but on the author’s own experience and narratives received from industry stakeholders. As such, they are open to debate. If you can suggest more model types or offer different names, please post it in the comments section below.

True Teach
- A training company established by someone with expertise in education and training
- or with industry-related technical expertise that they wish to impart in a formal learning environment.
- These companies focus on specific, niche learning areas and industries or a wide range of fields.
- They often permanently employ a limited number of facilitators, assessors and moderators who have matching industry capabilities.
- These same employees may be crucial in selling and promoting the organisation’s services or there may be a sales team to support business development.
Sales Adapt
- This company adapts services to respond to demands, and often struggles against like-minded competitors
- A company that sells training solutions and possesses little or no in-house education and training expertise.
- They tend to employ freelance trainers as required, based on sales.
- Sales Adapt companies have no particular area of specialisation and tend to offer generalist or generic qualifications that can be applied to a variety of industries.
- These companies are driven by sales and use sales teams to drive their focus areas.

There are other nuances but based on these two generalisations, here’s advice on how you can find your fit as an accredited facilitator.

True Teach

These organisations can be difficult to break into as their niche focus can result in limited employment opportunities.
You must offer these organisations more. For example, ensure that you have skills outside of facilitation. If you can produce learning material, show them a sample. Provide evidence that you are multi-skilled.
Their biggest challenge could be sales and sustainability – as a facilitator, you should have the ‘gift of the gab’ and be able to invoke passion in anyone listening to you. Apply this to sales and offer to market the company and sell its services. Even do it for free on condition that you are employed for the projects you secured – or negotiate a commission.
These companies usually live and breathe their QMS and probably developed it themselves. Show your knowledge of accreditation processes and develop tools that they may not have considered. Demonstrate these tools. For example, ‘Learner Behaviour Analysis Tool’ or ‘Reporting a Possible Learning Disability’ etc.
Develop tools specific to your learning areas. For example, if you’re accredited for an NQFL4 qualification, bear in mind that the fundamental component requires a second language. Develop stimulating second language activities related to the program. The second language component often poses a challenge as companies can’t afford to have their content translated. You as the facilitator should step up and show off.
If you’re only accredited as an assessor it’s no good. You must have both the moderator and assessor accreditation.

Sales Adapt

These organisations are market driven and will pride themselves on their flexibility and market adaptability.
They tend to have strong sales teams at the core of their business and build a database of freelance training experts that they become dependant on.
The more accreditations you have, the more you will appeal to them. (Again, you must be both an accredited assessor and moderator.)
They require facilitators who are solution driven and can independently manage the learning experience. If you facilitate at this company and have a disciplinary issue with learners, you will most likely be met with a blank stare when asking for advice.
These companies often brush the QMS aside as it was developed by a consultant and is often generic, not customised. You must ask for a copy and follow it.
Emphasise the fact that you are a learning manager – not just a facilitator, and that you manage your learners throughout the process, not just in the training room. You can do this by offering email support in order to keep its time and cost-effective. See yourself as a smaller organisation within a larger commercial vehicle.

Don’t be managed – Manage.

This isn’t all you can do!

SETA Seduction

Befriend your SETA. Find an expert reason to go in and meet with them.
Read the SETA sector development plan and school yourself in their issues and achievements. Identify a problem that organisations in your market face with regards to the SETA and meet with them to discuss a potential solution.
Attend SETA workshops – it doesn’t matter which ones, attend them all. SETA workshops provide free intel and fantastic networking opportunities. Never attend and then start ranting about something – it’s a total turnoff and unimpressive. Be professional, voice a concern and ask a question. Never set yourself up as a spokesperson for negativity as everybody has an axe to grind, that’s stale news. The SETA system is constantly evolving in its efforts to improve, sometimes they do it wrong and sometimes they get it right.
SETAs have a massive pioneering task so be identified as a solutions contributor. A positive, balanced demeanour goes a long way. I’ve been in meetings where people made valid points but chose to become dramatic and storm out. Their points of contention are then diminished. Don’t frikkin go there ok!!!!
Be accredited with as many SETAs as possible. Expand your range. I know there are limitations to this – but push those limitations, be flexible and willing to engage.

Be a Big Fish: Marketing Management

If you’re a freelancer you’re a business. Accept this no matter how uncomfortable it makes you. If you’ve survived this far, you’re an entrepreneur – OWN IT and give yourself a pat.
Understand your target markets. All training providers accredited to deliver the qualifications you are accredited for are your primary market, perhaps the only market.
Quantify your market. You will find their names on SETA websites and SAQA. If not, go and complain to the DHET as this is unacceptable. There are SETAs guilty of hiding this information, it’s shortsighted, damaging to the industry and defies our legislation. SAQA also contributes to this malaise by not updating qualification details on its website.
Get into content marketing – write and post about what you know, how you impart knowledge, and what you believe in and adhere to as a professional.
Contribute and build knowledge capital. Show off and make your presence felt. You are a business, learn from other businesses and emulate best practices.
Subscribe to marketing websites and learn new skills and approaches.

Represent your own interests

Facilitators should collaborate more with each other and consider becoming managers as opposed to freelancers. Operate together, pool your skills and secure strategic work based on your numbers and what you’re accredited for.

Contact training companies and ask them how many facilitators they expect to require during the year and where their biggest challenges are. Negotiate rates by helping them with a massive problem – securing accreditation-compliant facilitators.

Start a website, a blog, a campaign – anything, make your EXPERTISE visible.

Any pointers you can add below in a comment will be appreciated. Let’s strengthen this vital workforce.