Training team
Choose your trainers carefully. They play a key role in how well people learn. Look for team members with good teaching and people skills who can guide learners with energy and clarity.
The topics can vary a lot, so it helps to involve people with different areas of expertise. Trainers could include:
- Members of your own team (if they have skills like engineering, carpentry or design)
- Local experts from schools, colleges, maker spaces, environmental or creative projects
- People from your wider network (such as universities, research projects or campaigners)
- Guest speakers like visiting designers, researchers or craftspeople who can share their experience.
Some of the people and groups we work with:
- Lamu Polytechnic: Life skills, basic training in computer literacy, entrepreneurship, marketing and carpentry
- Lamu Museum: History and introduction of dhows)
- IoMe005 Innovation lab: Human centered design, digital manufacturing and prototyping)
- JKUAT: Material tests and student exchange
- James Wakibia, Kenyan environmental activist
- Wekesa Zablon, Kenyan circular design expert
- Juliani, Kenyan environmentalist and singer
- Newcastle University: Lessons on naval architecture and student exchange
- Northumbria University: Lessons on plastic processing and student exchange
- Portsmouth University: Lessons on environment and human health, circular economy and creative activism
Training responsibilities
Depending on how long your course is, you’ll have different chances to teach useful life skills alongside technical ones.
If you’re working with young people just starting out, it’s a good opportunity to help them develop key skills like timekeeping, teamwork, communication, creativity and problem-solving – all things that will help them succeed in future jobs, whether with you or elsewhere.
Encourage a creative and open learning environment where people feel free to test new ideas, try things out, and learn from mistakes.
Health and safety and responsibility
As the person or group running the training, you are responsible for making sure everyone has the right equipment and information to stay safe. Your facility and sessions should meet good health and safety standards, and you should always explain safety procedures at the start of each course.
To help protect yourself from liability outside of the Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) standards, it’s a good idea to have trainees sign a form agreeing to follow OHS guidelines.
