The Holistic Trainer project is a strategic partnership in the field of youth work to empower trainers to thrive in their roles, increase their well-being, motivation and job satisfaction. The project is entering its final stages; however, its outcomes, products and results will continue to have an impact for the foreseeable future. For this article we asked the Holistic Trainer team about the project and what they felt is the importance of it and its contribution of the development of youth work in Europe.
Written by Nik Paddison
The project is coordinated by the International Youth Work Trainers Guild (Guild)with partner organisations, Coobrafrom Austria, Team MAIS from Portugal, and Balkan Idea Novi Sad from Serbia. Each organisation is represented by trainers who have been able to dedicate part of their time to the project over the last two years.
The International Youth Work Trainers Guild was started in 2014 by a small group of trainers for trainers. It is an independent supportive community of trainers in the international youth work sector that advocates on behalf of and contributes to the professional development of trainers. It started quite small and now has over 40 members from across Europe.
Apart from this Holistic Trainer project, the Guild has developed something called the 360 Degrees Competence Development Platform for Trainers called AppRaiser – this platform is based on the ETS competence model for trainers working at international level. There is also the YouTrain project which is a series of videos on YouTube that provide advice and information about developing as a trainer.
The Holistic Trainer project was originally an idea of Giorgi Kikalishvili from Georgia. Through discussions about the health and welfare of trainers and youth workers working at the international level the idea for this project was conceived. But how to do an activity that explored some aspects like physical health, eating habits, psychological support, and other things?
The idea was then proposed to the Guild and a small team started a conversation about the concept. In the early stage of writing the application a survey was conducted with trainers asking about their needs, concerns and issues. From the survey five areas were identified and these five areas became the core of the project: Physical Well-Being, Mental and Emotional Well-Being, Life on the Road, Legal Matters and Self-Management.
An Erasmus+ Key Action 2 strategic partnership was applied for to the German National Agency. After it was accepted, the project began in September 2022.
The Holistic Trainer project focuses on improving the well-being of youth trainers.
Once the project was started, a second wider survey was conducted, numerous focus groups were held, a really large desk research was undertaken, and there was a laboratory with 25 trainers. The laboratory participants worked on examining and analysing all the research material and proposed concepts for sharing the results.
While some of the results highlight the issues, the main practical results have been designed to be responses, hacks and tips and tricks for leading a healthier life.
The final results of the project are: seven infographics, five teaser videos, five trainer audios, eight webinars, a webpage about the topic, a five chapters guide, two games and a support page on the Guilds website. They finished the project with two online multiplier events that attracted over 80 people and a self-directed MOOC that explores all five key areas.
The Holistic Trainer project focuses on improving the well-being of youth trainers, which is essential for the sustainable development of youth work. Well-being needs to be focused not just on mental or physical health but on all aspects of a trainer's life - something the project identified from its earliest stages.
Trainers who are emotionally, physically, and intellectually supported can provide higher-quality training and mentorship.
If trainers cannot take care of themselves then how can they support the youth sector effectively? Trainers who are emotionally, physically, and intellectually supported can provide higher-quality training and mentorship. It is a continuous work, and this project has provided a platform for learning about well-being as a long-term perspective for all youth work actors.
The project is ultimately about promoting quality and recognition in youth work. By promoting the well-being of trainers, the project directly contributes to the development of more skilled and better supported youth workers which supports the Agenda’s emphasis on professional development.
Recognition is also one of the Agenda’s priority areas and is a part of the Holistic Trainer as well. Part of the project’s aim is to support trainers first in recognising themselves and then ensuring that they receive recognition from the rest of the sector and beyond.
This project has created tools, used humour, and developed interactive methods.
Trainers who are in the field for a long time can also provide better support to newer and younger colleagues who are just entering the professional field. Through platforms like the Guildbest practices can be shared with others in the field – not just other trainers but the community of practice as a whole.
As trainers individually develop and the field of trainers develops, so the education and training of youth workers will also improve and create better youth work standards which in turn means better provision for young people. This project has created tools, used humour, and developed interactive methods, designed to enhance a trainer's well-being. In the long term, a focus on trainer well-being ensures that youth work remains impactful, inclusive and adaptable to changing societal needs.