2.1 The ‘facilitator’ role

In 2015, the OEPS project ran a series of workshops with Union Learning Representatives and asked them to think of a word that described their role in encouraging learning activity in their workplace. They mentioned:

‘Wordle’ [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] , created by Pete Cannell at wordle.net, licensed as Public Domain CC0

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A word diagram highlighting the key features of the facilitator role

‘Wordle’, created by Pete Cannell at wordle.net, licensed as Public Domain CC0

Think about your own role - do any of these words fit for you?

One word that nobody in the workshops mentioned initially was facilitator. Certainly no one felt that they were in a tutoring or teaching role. If you work in a community setting, you might be more familiar with the term. In this section we will use ‘facilitator’ as a catch-all for the functions that you may see yourself performing in your role as a workplace or community educator.

A facilitator is someone who is trusted, an equal who is enthusiastic about opening up learning opportunities. They are not a teacher, a tutor, a computer geek or an expert on any particular course. They take action to signpost opportunities, bring people together in learning groups, support and encourage.