How does IPERIA train jury members?

Since 2009, domestic workers and individual employers have served as volunteer jury members alongside us. Before they begin, we provide them with two days of training on skills assessment and thoroughly explain their role.

This commitment from domestic employees and individual employers is often motivated by a desire to contribute to a better recognition of the sector, as expressed by Cindy, a childcare provider and new jury member: "I am here to help candidates, to enhance the value of the professions". For Claude, representing individual employers, it is important "to contribute to recruitment for a sector that needs it".

The first training day aims to help them familiarize themselves with the individual employment and domestic work sector and understand the key role played by IPERIA in professionalizing (future) employees.

2 of our 4 Skills and Certification Project Officers are working on this. They help future jury members identify the professional qualifications issued by IPERIA and the skills expected to practice the professions of childcare provider, childminder, family assistant, and personal carer.

Their support helps future jury members understand the difference between a certification jury, a kind of final oral examination for obtaining a qualification, and an RPL jury, which concludes a Recognition of Prior Learning application.

The second training day is orchestrated by two IPERIA skills assessment officers. They are valuable references for jury members: their role during a candidate's evaluation is to chair the jury and, therefore, ensure the quality of exchanges and compliance with the legal framework. They are continuously present and available to listen and advise.

As part of the training, the IPERIA team offers practical exercises under "real" conditions of certification or RPL juries. This allows for going through the steps one after another and better understanding the jury member's mission: it starts with introductions, then studying the candidate's file, their interview, deliberation, announcing the result, and finally, the recommendations addressed to them. Throughout these steps, skills assessment officers encourage jury members to "put themselves at the candidate's level, their pathway, because this is not a job interview." Neutrality is essential to avoid any dispute: "We have nothing to hide. We have all the elements to argue if ever the candidate expresses dissatisfaction".

At the end of these practical exercises,provide reassurance to jury members, encouraging them not to be hard on themselves: "Your role is to identify what needs to be explored during the interview, what to avoid, to detect the candidate's 'common sense'. Our mission is not to search for the perfect professional who can absolutely do everything. We are here to look at the overall pathway".

As soon as their training ends, new jury members are invited to express their interest in upcoming jury sessions. A role that becomes concrete and will contribute to the professionalization of (future) sector employees. After two days of training, when it's time to begin, everyone feels more confident, as Sabine explains: 'I felt reassured by the IPERIA team. I must admit that at the beginning of the training, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of information to absorb.’

The skills assessment officers renew their encouragement and invite the jury members to "trust themselves." They remind them of the importance of their mission for the sector: "You are representatives of the industry and your profession!"