In 2023, the NEIEP Training Center in Warwick, RI, saw a record number of new and experienced Instructors pass through its doors to enhance their skills as educators. A total of 1035 attendees took part in the 61 workshops and seminars that were offered this past calendar year, up from a total of 725 attendees in 2022. Instructors participated in a full range of training events that prepare them for success in the classroom across the NEIEP curriculum. Workshops held in 2023 included basic and advanced train-the-trainer seminars, AC Motor Lab, CPR and First Aid, Forklift and Aerial Lift, Hydraulic Controller Lab, Line Starter Lab, Signaling and Rigging, Scaffolding, Welding, OSHA 500-series instructor training (held at multiple locations), and the capstone online professional development course. At NEIEP, instructor training is one of the most important activities undertaken, and our wide-ranging instructor workshops have positioned NEIEP Instructors as the best educators in the Elevator Industry.

Along with the abundance of Instructor workshops and seminars NEIEP offers each year, the focus on active learning as part of an instructional coaching model sets NEIEP’s training apart. Coaching facilitates a continuous process of providing feedback to enhance student performance, and this is how NEIEP tackles instructor training. Just as sports team coaches nurture their players to improve their skills, NEIEP trains Instructors to become the best educators they can possibly be, all while fostering a positive and supportive learning environment in which teachers and students alike can thrive.

The Importance of Instructor Training at NEIEP

NEIEP’s primary method of apprenticeship training is in-person, classroom instruction, so Instructors need to be properly trained if they are to succeed in molding NEIEP Apprentices into fully-fledged, industry-leading Mechanics.

The 300-attendee increase in participation in 2023 was no mean feat, but in hindsight it comes as little surprise when we consider the quality and variety of workshops and seminars offered. Coupled with the quality of the education offered to Instructors is the location for most of these events: NEIEP’s Training Center—the ideal setting to develop and enhance the abilities of NEIEP’s educators, specifically designed to maximize the outcomes of NEIEP’s training.

2023 Instructor Workshops in Focus

This year, NEIEP’s Basic Train the Trainer Course (BTTC) was the most popular workshop with 105 new Instructors in attendance. The objective of this course is to equip Instructors with the necessary skills and tools to present educational material effectively, and to gain confidence in doing so. This is a foundational course that encourages attendees to think about the process involved in teaching and learning with the goal that those who complete the course will gain the necessary skills and confidence that can be applied in the classroom and beyond.

The second most popular workshop in 2023 was the Advanced Train the Trainer Course (ATTC), with 92 attendees. Once completed, these attendees become eligible to take the online Instructor Professional Development (IPD) course. A total of 39 veteran Instructors took the IPD course in 2023, a 10-week, online, asynchronous program that features weekly discussions, digital resources, and flexible scheduling. Participants engage in self-reflection, explore teaching elements through multimedia, and develop instructional action plans.

The IPD course is comprehensive and involves participants critically analyzing key elements of effective teaching, applying insights to their classrooms. They explore planning strategies for lesson development or enhancement and acquaint themselves with proven best practices in course facilitation. The process concludes with each participant creating their instructional action plan. The IPD is recognized as the capstone for the Advanced Certificate in Classroom Instruction offered through NEIEP’s Instructor Training Institute (NITI), in collaboration with Roger Williams University.

Appreciation for Our Instructors

With the 2023 Instructor Training season now closed and the 2024 season ramping up to begin anew in late January, it would be remiss not to express our continued appreciation to our NEIEP Instructors. Without our Instructors, we could not educate and train the Elevator Industry’s leading Apprentices, Mechanics, and Adjusters. We want to thank our Instructors for their dedication to teaching and the way they embrace technology advancements and new teaching methods to ensure we are offering the best education possible.