Abstract

A well designed pre-service training experience can communicate service expectations and provide a level of knowledge suitable for further training. This practice provides suggestions for planning a pre-service training. Excerpted from Mosaica's newsletter, Training Briefs.

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Issue

A new member's first impressions about service expectations are often formed during pre-service training. To provide members with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills, this orientation should be carefully designed. Ineffective initial training may cause problems later on, and in-service training will be interrupted. An effective pre-service orientation allows for effective in-service training because the member is able to use the training to build upon past experience and skills.

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Action

This is a summary of suggestions that have helped AmeriCorps programs prepare pre-service training or orientation:

• Consider what outcomes you want from the training, and design the training and activities to encourage those outcomes.
• Consider the various situations, needs, methods and potential problems of the training design. This preparation will provide you with flexibility and confidence during the orientation.
• Make your pre-service training interactive and experiential.
• Carefully choose, and thoroughly prepare, your facilitators and presenters.
• Emphasize teamwork through small-group activities to build trust and team spirit.
• Find other service providers who will act as role models demonstrating the service ethic for the new members.
• Use participants as resources. Evaluate their skills as well as their needs. Allow them to use those skills within the training.
• Link training with the service assignment to increase the relevancy of the training.
• Monitor, assess, and evaluate the training. Encourage feedback so that the pre-service training can be refined.
• Design pre-service training in coordination with in-service and on-site training, so that future training sessions can build upon previous sessions.

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Context

Mosaica: The Center for Nonprofit Development and Pluralism, provides organizational assessments, strategic and resource development planning, fundraising capacity building, restructuring support, and assistance in financial management and oversight. Other services include board development, program design and delivery, personnel and systems management, volunteer activities, community involvement and community building, community organizing and advocacy, program evaluation, and coalition building.

The goal of Mosaica is to bring together individuals with diverse voices and experience to create an organization with a set of common values. Mosaica was established out of a commitment to social justice and a belief that within the United States and throughout the world, societies that strive for democracy, human rights, peace, individual opportunity, and pluralism must be built and maintained from the bottom up-community by community, group by group-with the active involvement of nonprofit organizations and a strong independent sector. Mosaica helps strengthen nonprofits so they can provide high quality services and advocacy in a sustainable, well-run fashion that supports communities.

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Citation

Mosaica. "Ten Tips for Successful Pre-Service Training." Training Briefs no. 2. (August 1997).

*Training Briefs were produced by Mosaica under Cooperative Agreement #98CADC009 with the Corporation for National and Community Service during July of 1997 through October of 1999.

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Outcome

Solid pre-service training lays the groundwork for further in-service training, and produces members who are more effective and happy because they have the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their service obligations.

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Posted On

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For More Information

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Resources

For a comprehensive overview of this topic, see the EnCorps resources at http://encorps.nationalserviceresources.org/mo_home.php .

Here you will find:
Elements and Methods of Orientation
Fundamentals of Orientation
Orientation topics

Source Documents

Related Practices

• Preparing for pre-service training of members
• Developing an AmeriCorps pre-service training program

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Topic Areas

• Orientation
• Training
• Start-up
• AmeriCorps
• Staff
• Program management

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