The Opportunity
Within our industry we are facing huge challenges going forward into 2021. Training, and sharing skill sets, is one of the ways we can all support one another.
We are in the process of arranging the 2021 training programme, and we are inviting Guild members to pitch their training course ideas and services to the Board.
Members are asked to pay a fee for training courses offered by an expert, so the content and learning outcomes should be relevant, transferrable and well-presented.
Therefore, there are some parameters we need to meet to ensure member engagement, attendance and value for money,
What to pitch
The subject should be relevant to multiple Guild members. Amongst our members we have freelance writers, journalists, authors, photographers, bloggers, vloggers, broadcasters, educators, PR specialists, commentators and consultants.
Think about your own area of expertise: what would Guild members find useful, and how could your skills be helpful and educational to other members?
For example, previous training courses have included: how to write a successful beer blog; advanced photography skills; how to build a personal brand, social media engagement, and how to pitch to editors.
Pitches in the pipeline are: ‘Kill Your Darlings’: editing a feature for editors; Creating Engaging YouTube Content; How to Charge, Invoice and Request Payment for Content.
How to pitch your training course
As a starting point, draft out a short synopsis for your training course content. This should include:
- The title of the course: a headline grabber
- The objectives of the course: why should someone take your course?
- The learning outcomes: learners will a) know how to, b) understand why, c) be able to
- The interactive elements in the course: exercises, quizzes, activities
- Supporting materials supplied (handbooks, manuals, slide decks, checklists)
You also need to include:
- Your credentials: what you do, accolades, training experience, qualifications
- The maximum number of attendees you feel confident managing on a Zoom/Teams call (this will be determined by the amount of interactive content).
- How the content is delivered (slides; media; interactive exercises, audio)
- Who the course is suitable for: the target audience
- Any pre or post training attendee preparation
- When the course should be delivered (day of the week, time of day)
- The length of the course in minutes
This should be submitted to the Guild Secretary [via secretary@beerguild.co.uk] for consideration at the next Board meeting.
Next Steps
If your pitch is successful, the Guild Secretary will ask you to submit a short summary of the course along with a biography for marketing purposes. A suitable date and time for the course will be arranged with you, and a fee for your services agreed.
The course will be marketed via the Guild e-newsletter, social media platforms and communicated to the Guild corporate members.
Summary
We have a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience amongst our members. As a Board, we would like to access these skills for the benefit of all members and facilitate a robust, relevant training programme for 2021.
Some Background Information
One of the Guild Board’s objectives is to organise and offer members a programme of training courses throughout the year.
In previous years, Guild members have been surveyed annually to explore what topics they would find of most use. Following the survey, the Guild Board identify a suitable tutor for these topics, and the courses are marketed through multiple communication channels to Guild members.
The training courses are delivered either by external experts or by Guild members with a special area of expertise. Many members who have attended training courses have stated the training course programme is one of the main benefits of being a Guild member.
Up until early 2020, most training courses were delivered in a face-to-face setting at a venue organised by the Guild Secretary. Feedback from attendees on these courses was excellent and many members felt they were beneficial to them in their current roles.
In March 2020, all venue-based training courses were suspended due to the pandemic. In their place, the Guild organised a series of on-line seminars hosted by Guild members. These were all offered free of charge to any members.