Participants become aware of the skills required by a facilitator at the end of a training workshop.

Training courses for the training of facilitators or trainers are specific events where the method for training is also the content – participation and dialogue. A four to six-day training course is required at the first level for basic methods, improving visualisation and presentation skills, understanding concepts of communication and facilitation, practicing facilitation, overcoming recurrent problems of group processes, designing events, and learning planning and creativity tools. In facilitation training, the participants learn by designing and facilitating small sessions – learning by doing.

After the training course, the participants may have acquired the skills to be able to facilitate business meetings, planning workshops, staff retreats, and other types of participatory group processes. A second level course (VIPP TOF-2) is very useful for those who have experience in using the methods and want to increase their knowledge, skills and explore issues, such as the values and ethics of facilitation, in more depth.

To become a trainer of facilitators one needs more skills. Besides knowing how to run a session using VIPP methods, one needs to learn the theory and concepts of learning and to apply them to group processes. It is also necessary to know the principles and approaches for designing a whole programme, to have in-depth knowledge and skills in participation, group dynamics, and VIPP methods and techniques, as well as the art of dealing with emotions which may arise on sensitive issues while participants exchange ideas in groups or plenary. Trainers should also understand the philosophy of participation, possess a communicative attitude, and believe in the ethics of respect for diversity.

You cannot become a trainer of facilitators after one course in facilitation. It is a long-term process of learning by practising facilitation, first co-facilitating with an experienced trainer, and then as a member of a community of practice with coaching by a colleague who is proficient in VIPP methods.