On behalf of our entire training team, welcome! Our team firmly believes in the concept of teamwork and that each employee contributes directly to our success. We could not accomplish what we do every day without our employees!
Metro's Training Team is made up of the Training Coordinator and Advanced Communications Operators (ACOs). The Training Coordinator facilitates all classroom training for new employees and oversees center rotations and serves as the direct point of contact throughout the entire training program. ACOs are responsible for delivering one-to-one live environment training. They act as a coach and as a mentor during recruit training rotations in the center and provide ongoing written and verbal feedback.
Metro’s training team is dedicated to providing real-world experiences where employees learn by investigating problems, applying established Core Competencies and knowledge within and across disciplines. Recruits learn to work collaboratively within our agency and with our stakeholders to seek out tools necessary to solve these problems. In 2016, the Agency’s training program for new hires went through an extensive conversion process to incorporate contemporary adult educational models and a version of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) adapted for dispatch operations. Traditional field training models do not address adult learning styles or contemporary evaluation techniques. This new approach to training provides a foundation for life-long learning and prepares new hires for the complexities of dispatching today and well into the future.
As demands on public safety dispatchers and call-takers continue to increase, agencies must provide new employees with the resources and training to fulfill their expanded role. The PBL approach encourages employees to think about their roles and responsibilities as they approach specific problems encountered at work, and encourages them to collaborate with peers, develop resources, and communicate effectively with their coworkers, the responders we serve, and the community.
