Hi again everyone, i do like this discussion forum, it really helped me out last time I needed it...
I have a question that I am hoping you can help me with, A few years ago i attended L&D L3 with DPG in London with the brilliant Howard Rose, since then my role has L&D lead has gone from strength to strength, unfortunately, there is very little opportunity for me to grow in my current L&D role but I really enjoy working where I am and therefore I dont have any real desire to leave what is a fairly secure job. I am seriously considering attending the Level 5 LDM training with DPG in London for the Autumn 2015 programme, so, apart from the obvious "Knowledge is the bomb", I need to better understand the "WIIFM" of putting myself through another year+ of travelling from Portsmouth to London for 9 months when there is no real promotional gain apparent. What do you think, WIIFM!
Replies
Hi Darren,
I think Ady and Howard have said it all! Did you enjoy the level 3 course? If you did, I imagine you would enjoy the level 5. I'm not sure whether you might be able to jump straight into a level 7 course and whether it would be relevant to your role? Perhaps you could ask that question.
Having taken a new job focussed specifically on training, I am doing level 7, 30 years after having done my PGCE. The reason was to update my knowledge and make sure I am providing the best possible service for our people and for the company. I have loved the course, although it has been very challenging to fit in timewise. I have learnt lots of new things (some of which have been fascinating) and the course has also made me realise how much I learnt 30 years ago and through years of practice, that is still entirely relevant, which of course gives me confidence in what I am doing and have been doing.
I am an advocate of continuous learning and taking every opportunity. Obviously we only have so much time in a day, so it's deciding is this the learning you would choose to do now (rather than something different), is this the best way of learning it, and can you fit it in and give it your best shot? Only you know the answers to those questions.
From what you have said above, and fron Ady and Howard's excellent replies, I would say the course would be very beneficial, so it's down to your personal circumstances and motivation. You might prefer to learn sailing or astronomy or law for example! (ok they may be wild examples but you get the point!)
Best of luck with whatever you choose :)
Hi Darren,
Can't add much more to Ady's reply. When I did my MEd it was very theoretical, covering issues like Knowledge Management, diversity, and other issues less directly related to the practice of L&D, but I use what I have learnt from that almost all the time, very often not as direct knowledge gained but in order to assess a situation or problem. For me the benefit of studying at level five is three fold. Firstly an increase in confidence that you will gain, it is harder than the level three and something to be proud of when you finish. Secondly you start to see problems and issues from a different angle, you start to think differently, more analytical, taking in more of the picture before making decisions and thirdly you can see the connections between other material, by that I mean how some L&D theories support each other this allows you to really make the most of them.
Feel free to call for a chat
H
Hi Darren.
I can relate to this. I did my Level 3 with DPG in 2007. I’d been doing training and L&D for some time and had gained lots of knowledge already. I wanted more but also to get that first recognised CIPD qualification under my belt. I really enjoyed the programme and met and interacted with some great people, probably like you did too.
I then didn’t really do much more in terms of formal studies until six years later. I enrolled on the Level 5 LDM. I’m in a similar position to you, e.g. little upwards move available due to size of organisation and me not wanting to leave a job that I enjoy so much. However, I did want to get some more development under way. It was my manager at the time that suggested I look to do a Level 5. I was really pleased that I chose to do this. Firstly, that year and the year that followed have been my most significant years of development to date. I learned about things that I wanted to learn more about, but also discovered new topics that I hadn’t come across before. To be honest, some of them I possibly wouldn’t have explored had it not been for the programme. It was also a chance to bring my knowledge up to date with some current thinking. I’d say that this development has helped me to think at a more strategic level in relation to L&D. Whilst this isn’t necessarily a requirement for the role that I’m in, it does help when I shape L&D solutions and seek to gain the buy-in of those around me in L&D and the wider organisation. I think I have a more rounded knowledge and consider solutions from a much wider pot drawing on research and best practice where necessary.
The experience with DPG some years later was very different. The first round on Level 3 was really good. However, second time around I can see how much DPG have shifted. There’s a lot more than just the series of workshops that you attend. The DPG Community, for example, is a great place to be for supporting your studies, but also providing support in your day-to-day work from a wider professional community. I always say it’s like having access to hundreds of mentors that you wouldn’t ordinarily have. Just because my programme is finished, doesn’t mean to say that I’m not hanging around on here still finding it very useful! It’s also wetting my appetite for what could be next!
So I think in a nutshell, sometimes higher level qualifications aren’t just about progression and promotion. For me I think it’s sometimes about doing what you already do, but with a higher level of knowledge and a greater impact.
Hope this helps. Would love to hear what you decide to do.
Regards,
Ady.