YOUR #1 RESOURCE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION
What I Don't Know Now By Dave McGinnis | TD Talk Nobody knows everything, but it behooves us all to try. Folk in tech world rarely—if ever— see ourselves as complacent. We traverse the globe in search of new technologies we might exploit to increase output, decrease energy expended or both. We take pride in our ability to overcome obstacles laid before us by the various spaces we inhabit, and in so doing expand our understanding of our given duties. I’ve noticed over the years, though, that some of us—and I openly admit to this sin myself—decide at some point that we know enough and can rest on our current experience and knowledge. A recent stint of boredom, however, proved to me that, just like our artistic counterparts, we bear a responsibility for constantly expanding our repertoire in terms of more than just equipment and tricks, but in training. For those in tech world who feel deficient at times, two choices present themselves. First, one could hide one’s deficiencies for as long as possible, constantly shucking and jiving to avoiding confronting them. I can’t say that I recommend this course of action, but listen to bar-dwelling complainers long enough, and you’ll soon realize that many apparently follow this path. Second, regardless of how much education one has previously attained or what one learned over the course of that education, one might opt to find training opportunities and utilize them. I’ve spent a great deal of time seeking out ways to expand my own skill set, and I’ve included some of my findings below. Convention Classes Virtually all conventions—SETC, USITT, LDI, etc.—host some form or fashion of training seminars available to those attending. These classes/seminars can include programming for lighting consoles (both newly released and currently in circulation), rigging techniques or even construction techniques. Some will lack the necessary time to go truly in-depth (though many will go as deep as necessary), but most will offer at least a cursory glance that acquaints one with the subject being taught. Regarding certification, some offer it, and others do not. To see what classes await at a given convention, just peruse their information or contact the organization hosting it. Union Classes Most IATSE locals offer training throughout the year in virtually every technical discipline. Most of these courses result in some form of official certification. Some will limit training to members, but many will allow non-members to take classes at a higher cost. To learn what opportunities exist with your local, simply contact the local office or visit the IATSE Web site—www.iatse-intl.org/home. html—to find your local’s office Web site. Your Local College/University Continuing education means exactly what it says. Granted, few, if any, of these programs will offer programming courses on the grandMA, but they can provide TDs with chances to learn different welding techniques, updated OSHA codes or even shop management strategies. Some will even offer courses in construction techniques for new or existing materials, and most will offer some form of credit or certification upon satisfactory completion. Best of all, these courses usually meet regularly over an extended period—up to a semester—which allows in-depth exposure. They also tend to cost less than equivalent courses taught in other venues and meet in your community. Private Instruction This option presents both the greatest and least outcomes of all mentioned here. In this scenario, the TD asks a practitioner of the necessary skill to teach him/her the trade one-on-one. This option provides numerous obvious advantages: depth of study (and I do mean DEPTH), negotiable compensation for the tutor (ranging from a six-pack of beer to thousands of dollars), ease of scheduling (both time and place to meet) and freedom of both the tutor and learner to guide the pacing. Sadly, however, private tutelage often results in great learning outcomes without official certification. The TD can add the skill to his/her resume, but every likelihood exists that no certification will exist to substantiate that claim. For the TD in need of a skill update, one or more of these options will usually suffice, but which to use depends heavily on availability and the TD’s ability to meet the process’s demands. Where and how one learns a new skill, however, means far less than the fact that one has learned it. www.stage-directions.com • March 2010 55