Training for a student group

[Simon E]

I had a chat today with a (university) student group I do alot of work for about training (they were basically asking me to do some training for them but I really don’t have either the time or teaching ability at the moment!). They used to do all their training in-house but recently seem to have lost many of their more experienced members without them passing their knowledge on. On top of this ‘official documented training’ is seen as preferable by the university to the ‘on the job’ style training that used to occur.

 

So basically I’m after some general ideas about what’s available out there in terms of training material (dvd’s etc), short courses, or people able to offer bespoke training. Available time for training is limited as they tend to have lectures during the week, a two day course may be possible but a two week course would probably not be!

 

The group does quite a varied range of jobs, disco style set-ups being the most common (usually for about 100 people, but up to 1,200 for some events) but they also do film projection, bands and theatrical productions. Equipment they own includes a 9K PA, digital sound desk and multicore, 5000 lumen digital projector, 8x8m square of truss with four floor based winch stands, 12x 150w discharge scans, Masterpiece 216 desk, 30 channels of dimmers, 20 theatre lights (mainly Strand Quartets) and 28 500w cans. Experience of their new members ranges from ‘none at all’ to ‘I helped out at a school show once’, or 'I did a bit of DJ'ing at a party once', oh and they are all unpaid volunteers too (so they don’t want to scare people away with too much theory!).

 

If I were to break it down into topics it might go something like this:

Basics (Health & Safety, plugging & unplugging, hanging and focusing lights etc) (they might be able to do some of this in house)

Band Rigging / Sound Engineering

Masterpiece Programming / Disco Lighting

Basic Stage Lighting and Management (I don’t think that they ever do anything too advanced!)

Film Projection (again they might be able to do this in-house)

 

Any ideas for training options in any of these areas gratefully accepted!!!

 

Simon

 

PS they are based in the east-midlands

[J Pearce]

Send them to another SU events society. I can think of one who would be aptly placed and have the required knowledge.

[paulears]

Isn't it an indication of how our education system really doesn't work when students at a recognised seat of learning have to go outside of the university staff for their training, yet the uni still want to control what kind of training they source for themselves?

[mostlyharmless]

I think the idea is that most of these students are not doing courses related to the industry, and are doing this for fun/ artistic creativity.

[Simon Lewis]

Isn't it an indication of how our education system really doesn't work when students at a recognised seat of learning have to go outside of the university staff for their training, yet the uni still want to control what kind of training they source for themselves?

 

I read (between the lines) that this was to do with a Student's Union, and that the SU wanted some form of 'documented training' rather than 'on the job'. If experienced people had left without transfering knowledge and skills, and I had to buy something in, I think I would want some kind of "proper" training in place.

 

I've seen organisations offer "introduction to stage health & safety" courses for just this sort of group...

[kerry davies]

Whoa there folks. All real NUS student unions are associate members of the PSA and have already been offered Safety Passport training. NUS Ents can fix them up with lots of training but, and it is a massive but, the passport takes a day in itself and anyone suggesting a two day course for events technicians is crazy.

If they haven't got anyone experienced leading the team they shouldn't be doing anything with the kit, how on earth can they make a visual check if they do not know what they are looking for? No wonder that degrees have a steadily worsening reputation if they seriously believe that they can learn enough about the technical side of events in days not years.

It isn't so much that they could come to harm but that they are actually performing a service for the public; basic electrical safety, manual handling, safe set-up of kit and a hundred etceteras need to be covered. Working with bands and with an audience of up to 1,200 suggests strongly that this is a commercial enterprise which certainly wouldn't sneak into a private party scenario.

The HSE strongly suggests that even volunteer staff be treated the same as employees as regard to HASAWA and thus the union has a suggested duty to provide training for which I'm sure their insurance company would be deeply appreciative!

[mostlyharmless]

Why not send a few students on the PSA course.

 

For example, I've been on the PSA course through our SU, and have since trained others on an internal basis. Although we did and still do have a formal introduction session run in house before anyone can start "work".

[Simon E]

Thanks for the replies everybody!

 

They are indeed doing it for fun / artistic creativity, I think the main reason behind it is that the group will be loosing many of its more experienced members when they graduate in the summer and has identified that more training for the remaining members will be required. Simon’s correct in saying that the ‘documented training’ is sort by the SU, who I assume will be paying the bill at the end of the day, and who in turn need to make sure that the insurance and H&S requirements are met. Kerry I think you misunderstand me slightly, I was suggesting that they do multiple courses each one lasting a couple of days (e.g. 2 days of basic stagecraft, 2 days of basic sound etc.) not that they could learn everything in a couple of days (lets face it you can do three years doing a degree in some of these areas and still not know everything). I wasn’t aware of the link between NUS Ents and the PSA, it definitely looks like the sort of thing they should look into (indeed I’m not sure why they don’t know about it already!)

[dosxuk]

Even if they do know about the PSA courses doesn't mean they'll sort out sending anyone :)

 

At Hallam all volunteers/crew have to undergo:

- Basic H&S

- Manual Handling

- Working at Height

- Electrical Safety

 

Before getting any on-the-job training. There are also semi-formal training sessions for Sound / Lighting done to get people knowledgeable about the gear, but virtually all the club lighting training is done on the job.