The REFAK (ReferentInnen Akademie) is the Train the Trainers program in Austrian Trade Union Education. It is a cooperation project between the Chamber of Labour (AK) and the Association of Austrian Trade Union Education (VÖGB). It is managed by a cooperative pedagogical management team of AK Vienna and VÖGB. REFAK is aimed at all people who are or will be active in trade union adult education as trainers, speakers or lecturers. The selection of the participants is carried out in close cooperation with the responsible trade union secretaries.

Aims and tasks of the Refak

The following objectives and tasks of REFAK were defined by the Steering Committee of VÖGB on 18.06.2012. The REFAK shall…

• give impulses for the further development of the content (theoretical, didactic and methodological) of trade union adult education in Austria;
• facilitate the personal development of the participants (speakers/trainers become process facilitators);
• provide learning spaces for reflection on one’s own practice, for exchange with colleagues, for securing experiences and for the development of new contents and competences.

Sharing knowledge!

REFAK sees itself as a hub and platform for the exchange of knowledge, experiences and resources – therefore, content on the blog is made available under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 AT (HERE you find more information) as far as possible in the spirit of Open Educational Resources.

The courses

The ReferentInnen Akademie (REFAK) sees itself not only as a place of training, but also wants to stimulate and contribute to continuous further training within the framework of trade union adult education. Whether specific individual seminars are attended or the entire training courses are completed can be decided individually in consultation with the respective education officers. The offer is supplemented by special seminars.

Certificate course for trainers and lecturers

The seminars are aimed at all people who are or will be active in trade union adult education as trainers, speakers or lecturers. The selection of the participants is carried out in close cooperation with the responsible educational staff.

These are among others:

• Experienced and new trade union trainers
• External trainers without trade union training
• Specialists/experts (experts in AK, ÖGB and trade unions with high professional competence and expandable methodological skills)
• Supervising trade union secretaries who work as trainers within the framework of basic courses etc.
• Course coaches

HERE you find more information on the curriculum of the course.

Certificate course for program coaches

The course is aimed at those persons who accompany courses or seminars in the context of trade union adult education (program coaches). The selection of the participants is also carried out in close cooperation with the respective responsible educational staff.

HERE you find more information on the curriculum of the course.

Learning outcomes on programme level

Graduates of the REFAK training for trainers and speakers of trade union adult education…

• know about current societal, social, political and operational developments
• can draw conclusions from this knowledge about the challenges of trade union and shop steward work and design and implement their training courses with a regard to the best possible support
• are able to provide participatory and action-oriented trade union education, which ultimately helps to increase the assertiveness of the various trade union actors
• can consistently deal with trade union/political education and its specific framework
• can impart basic and advanced didactic and pedagogical knowledge in theory and practice to participants in trade union education
• know about group dynamic processes and the work with heterogeneous groups and
• can pass on this knowledge in basic principles
• understand and live the role of a learning process facilitator with the associated participant-centred and participation-oriented attitude
• can deal with difficult situations, especially with regard to racism and sexism

Contacts

Translation: Astrid Donaubauer

Read original article in German