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What is development training?

Development Training combines development (change and growth) with training (learning specific skills). Development Training accelerates learning and cultivates the habit of learning from life.

For more definitions of development training see: Development Training and Learning for Growth

'Whole person development' is central to development training philosophy but it is usually expressed more modestly in programme aims. Commitment to self-development and customer satisfaction makes it difficult for providers of training to have purposes other than those of meeting customer needs and providing opportunities for self-development. Because of this difficulty (let alone the difficulty of evaluating whole person development) I have argued in a research report that:"Development training may be better represented as being development through the whole person, rather than as development of the whole person. The learning climate in development training enables development through the whole person." (Greenaway, 1986)

This view is different to the priority given to development of the whole person in the Development Training Advisory Group Code of Practice (1986). It seems that development training can be represented either as a holistic training methodology (through which a number of different purposes can be achieved), or as an almost "evangelical" movement committed to the concept of developing "whole persons". In my view, the former representation is a more accurate description of the processes involved.

However, youth development tends to be relatively closer to the "evangelical" approach, while management development is generally closer to the "utilitarian" approach - using whole person methods as a means to other ends. What the above definitions of development training do show is a strong measure of idealism and optimism, which are perhaps the most significant ingredients. Other ingredients that can be found in definitions or descriptions of development training are the words 'adventure', 'groupwork', 'reviewing', 'support', 'challenge', 'dynamic learning climate', 'quality of experience', 'developing potential'; and 'team development', 'organisational development', 'community development' as well as 'personal development'.