17.2 – Deliver Information Sessions or Workshops

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) deliver information sessions and workshops to share information and engage participants in interactive activities to learn and practice new skills.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Prepare session, for example:
- Identify people with first aid skills, if possible
- Prepare site arrangements, e.g. book room, organize equipment and refreshments
- List facility policies, e.g. parking, access to building, emergency procedures
- Prepare materials and supplies for session, e.g. name tags, handouts
P2. Prepare site, for example:
- Assess site based on session plan, participant comfort and safety
- Test equipment or remote delivery platform
- Confirm refreshments are available, if applicable
P3. Create a positive learning environment:
- Welcome participants
- Introduce self
- State qualifications
- Ask participants to introduce themselves
- Discuss participant expectations
- Explain objectives
P4. Ensure comfort, safety and security of participants:
- Explain safety measures, for example:
  - Location of defibrillator and first aid supplies
  - Fire alarm procedures, e.g. wait for instructions, convene at designated meeting spot
  - Location of emergency exit(s)
- Indicate location of washrooms
P5. Deliver session:
- Apply presentation and training techniques, for example:
  - Demonstrations
  - Group discussions
  - Learning circles
  - Lecture
  - Role playing
  - Simulations
- Consult session plan for guidance
- Acknowledge contributions made by participants
- Close session, e.g. summarize key messages
P6. Adapt delivery to audience, considering:
- Personality types
- Linguistic, cultural, generational and educational differences
- Cognitive, mental and physical abilities
- Fatigue and attention span
P7. Adjust session plan to accommodate individual or group needs, for example:
- Simplify content to enhance comprehension
- Integrate participants’ suggestions
- Adjust pace
P8. Provide opportunity for all participants to engage:
- Encourage participants’ contributions
- Stimulate discussion about content, e.g. ask about applicability to participant’s situation
P9. Accommodate participants, for example:
- Identify barriers that exist in materials and environment
- Adjust physical environment, e.g. adjust heating and lighting, change room set-up
- Offer aids or supports, e.g. induction loop for hearing aids
P10. Manage group dynamics, for example:
- Speak to every participant
- Encourage participation through dialogue
- Resolve inappropriate behaviours, for example:
  - Stay calm
  - Take break, use time to decide approach
  - Take participant aside to discuss behaviour
  - Move participants into new groups
  - Sympathize with symptom, address the cause
  - Move discussion to new topic to change pace and reduce escalation of the issue
P11. Administer session evaluation:
- Describe process and time allotted
- Describe how results will be used
- Seek permission to share results or use as testimonials
P12. Report on session evaluation:
- Compile information
- Analyze findings
- Summarize recommendations

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Budget allocations, e.g. funds available for food and beverages, room rental, transportation, supplies
K2. Techniques to deal with disruptive behaviours, e.g. monopolizing conversation, negative comments, profanity, side
conversations
K3. Logistical information, e.g. location of washrooms and exits
K4. Content of the session or workshop, e.g. participant guide, presentation, exercises, agenda
K5. Technology enabling remote delivery

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

Training techniques are dependent on learning objectives and participant needs.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Demonstration: describe skills to an audience while performing them.

Group discussion: facilitated exchange of information among participants.

Learning circle: participants speak in turn without interruption or rebuttal while sitting in a circle.

Lecture: verbal presentation to convey content.

Role playing: unrehearsed, informal dramatization in which participants act out prescribed scenario.

Simulation: portrayal of system, process or situation.

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

None

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Minimal risk: SOMEWHAT CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of designing and delivering 10 information sessions or workshops on a range of topics to varied audiences.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None