Facilitator Pathway

Embark on an exciting journey through our facilitation training pathway, crafted to empower you with the specialised skills and essential knowledge needed to lead and deliver impactful SLSNZ courses.

Unveil the peak of facilitation excellence with our National Facilitators Training Course, the height of excellence, propelling facilitators into the delivery of exceptional training and courses that truly impact our members.

SLSNZ Facilitator Pathway Flowchart

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Facilitator Training Course

Course Overview 

The National Facilitators Training Course provides you with tools on “how” to facilitate and also provides you with the resources to help with “what” you facilitate. The two day training workshop consists of:

  • Day 1 – Facilitation skills theory, models, tools & techniques plus SLSNZ requirements
  • Day 2 – Implementation of day 1 learning and assessment (each trainee facilitator will run a training session and will be provided feedback)

Prerequisites 

  • Current member of a SLS club 
  • 18 years of age 
  • Gained an associated award in one of the facilitation streams (Instructors Award, Senior Lifeguard - Patrol Captain’s Award, Surf Official Level 1 Award, Introduction to Surf Coaching Award)
  • Before attending the National Facilitator Training Course it is strongly recommended the candidate complete shadow facilitation and/or co-facilitation in the facilitation stream they intend to facilitate in the future. This can be organised through your regional office.
  • Regional experience in facilitating, instructing, coaching or equivalent that has been developing their facilitation attributes.
  • Genuine interest in the development of members
  • Commit to engaging in facilitation in your region for a 2-3 years term (to ensure skills are kept up).

Duration: 2 day course

Delivered by: SLSNZ National Education Team

Who should complete it: Anyone interested in becoming a course facilitator

Candidate requirements: Candidates must first apply through an expressions of interest process. As part of the selection process consultation with all regions will take place to ensure those trainee facilitators considered for selection have the appropriate pre-reqs and skills required. 

Topics Covered

The learning objectives of the facilitator training course are for all trainee facilitators to be able to:

  • Explain what a facilitator is (and is not).
  • Self-reflect on your facilitation abilities.
  • Apply best practice facilitation theory (VARK, Communication/ Learning styles; facilitation skills and other tools).
  • Plan and prepare a session.
  • Run a session with an intro, middle and conclusion while applying all facilitation theory covered during the course.
  • Display familiarity with your content (stream specific).
  • Confidently able to change/create a lesson plan to suit your, your learners and the content while still meeting the required learning objectives.
  • Explain the SLSNZ processes that are to be followed surrounding their courses.

Applications for the 23/24 season intake closed on 6th September 2023.

Keep an eye out for expressions of interest for the 2024/25 season intake later in the year.

Facilitator Award currency: 24 months

Facilitator Refresher

Course Overview

Our Facilitator Refresher is designed to refresh facilitators on their knowledge and skills in best practice facilitation. It ensures all accredited facilitators have access to the most up-to-date materials and processes and are aware of key changes that have been made. All Facilitator Awards must be refreshed every two years to maintain the award, via a two-step process:

  1. Facilitator Refresher (Theory) module – Online (20 to 40 minutes)
  2. Facilitator Refresher (Assessment) module – Face to Face via an accredited facilitator assessor.

The Facilitator Refresher (Theory) module can be access via the member portal here: https://memberportal.surflifesaving.org.nz and you can log in by following these steps: watch here. To self-enrol, click on the “Training Library”, find “Lifesaving, Sport or Refreshers” course category and click on “view courses”. Find “Facilitator Refresher” course and click “enrol”. 

Important points

  • It is important to note that the facilitator is only required to complete the two modules to gain facilitator refresher award.

The facilitator may complete the face to face assessment in any facilitation stream. This applies to those facilitators who hold multiple facilitator awards. The purpose is that the facilitator will only be observed on their facilitation skills not focused on the content knowledge in the stream they are delivering.