What others have said about JLP Facilitator Orientation
Let yourself feel the “POWER” of JLP facilitation. Become a facilitator today.
I walked in on Monday as an average public servant. On Friday, I walked out a JLP facilitator with an open mind and a new perspective on the topics we will share with future participants.
I have been totally engaged through this process. Hands down the best course I have participated in.
Be prepared to have your beliefs about how learning takes place challenged and even modified. An experience of a lifetime.
Not only has this orientation prepared me to become an effective JLP facilitator, the skills that I learned from the depth and breadth of my colleagues were invaluable.
The Joint Learning Program (JLP) invites Union members of the Core Public Administration and their employer counterparts to join its dynamic team of workshop facilitators. As a JLP facilitator, you will be part of a volunteer cadre of Public Service employees who are contributing to improved labour-management relations and healthier federal government workplaces.
The Opportunity
When you become a JLP facilitator, you will join a community of more than 1,500 union and employer facilitators across Canada who have participated in the JLP since 2002. JLP facilitators work in many different kinds of jobs and represent almost all federal government departments. Some of them hold union positions, some of them are managers and executives, and all of them are connected by a common interest in working collaboratively to inspire positive change in their workplace.
Through their involvement with the JLP, many facilitators tell us that they experience personal growth and a renewed commitment to their public service careers. They develop new skills and form new friendships. And they get great satisfaction from successfully co-facilitating learning events that create a space for dialogue among their peers.
If you are selected as a potential JLP facilitator, you will attend a five-day facilitation training session that provides you with a strong foundation of facilitation skills. You will work jointly with union and employer representatives and you will experience an overview of the JLP program and learning materials. With the exception of salary and overtime (if applicable), which are paid by your department, all costs for this training (including travel and accommodation, if required) will be paid by the JLP.
The Requirements
JLP is looking for potential facilitators who, on their application forms and in their interviews, demonstrate:
- A commitment to positive joint labour-management relations and respect for the respective roles of union and management in a unionized workplace
- A commitment to preparing and delivering a minimum of five workshops for the JLP in the 18 months following their orientation session
- Credibility with the union and the employer, both within the workplace and in the context of union-management relations
- Experience or potential skill in co-facilitating experiential learning activities that are participatory and dialogue-based
JLP realizes that your manager’s support will be very important in allowing you to meet your workshop delivery commitment. Therefore, JLP asks for your manager’s name and contact information on the application form. Your manager will be included at all stages of the application process, so you are encouraged to discuss the Program with your manager before you submit your application.
You are also required to provide the name and contact information of someone who can confirm your credibility as either a union or an employer facilitator. For union facilitators, this will usually be an officer in the local or the component to which you belong. For employer facilitators, the support person may be your manager.
All potential JLP facilitators must demonstrate familiarity with the Joint Learning Program. One way to demonstrate familiarity is to attend a JLP workshop. You are encouraged to contact your Regional Field Coordinators to discuss how this could be arranged.
All potential facilitators must participate in a five-day facilitator orientation session. Orientation sessions are scheduled across Canada throughout the year. When JLP organizes an orientation session, it tries to ensure a balance of union and employer participants. It also considers equity status, location, workshop interests and suitability, availability, and manager support in determining whether to invite you to a particular orientation session. If you are screened in as a potential facilitator, you will be notified when a spot is available in an orientation session.
Application
To apply to become a JLP facilitator, click on the Register for an Orientation Session link on the top of the screen. The application will ask you for your basic contact information, your role in the union (if applicable), your previous experience with facilitation and with the topics addressed by the JLP, as well as for your commitment and manager support. You may complete the application over a number of sessions. JLP will be notified of your application after you click Submit.
Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. If you are considerd as a potential JLP facilitator, the Regional Field Coordinators will contact you for an interview. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact the JLP.
The next Orientation Session will be held as following:
Montreal, QC
In French
Regions: Quebec, Atlantic, Ottawa/Gatineau
May 27 - May 31, 2013
Deadline: April 30, 2013
Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and normally end at 4:30 p.m. every afternoon except Friday, when the session ends no later than 3 p.m. Participants are expected to be present for the entire week. There may also be some individual preparation required during the evening.
Please note that selected applicants only will be notified four weeks before the respective course.
Course travel, accommodation, and delivery costs will be paid for by the JLP. Salaries will be absorbed by each facilitator's respective department or agency.
For more information, read the JLP Questions and Answers for Potential Facilitators.
