BRINGING QUALITY CONTROL INTO FERMENTATION WORKSHOPS

In the last few years and up to the present, there seems to be many fermentation technology workshops being offered by the universities.
Analyses of the brochures and advertisements about the fermentation workshops offered have left many questions on:

1 Quality of the workshops
2 Course contents
3 Degree of hands on practicals offered to participants
4 Experience and qualifications of those conducting the fermentation
Workshops
5 Number of participants and work experience
6 Whether the so called “hands on” workshops are just demonstrations or “ look on” workshops
7 Whether those workshops involve real industrial or case solving workshops
8 Whether there are ‘brain storming sessions” with experienced facilitators

There should be some sort of accreditation and validation of these fermentation technology workshops, so that all parties concerned will benefit from the course. This continuous monitoring and assessing of the fermentation technology workshops will ultimately lead to better quality fermentation workshops.

COST OF WORKSHOPS
I don’t think the cost of attending the workshops will be an issue if real quality courses are being offered. Most companies are more than willing to pay if the courses are really positive and contributing to the company

REASON FOR ATTENDING WORKSHOPS
As I have noticed in many fermentation workshops, the workshop are supposed to be practical orientated. So stop wasting too much time in giving unnecessary lectures. After all most of the participants have enough experience or education. The reason they are attending the workshops are more to learn something new or upgrade their knowledge.

That is why I feel in such fermentation workshops, the participants should be more focused as the target group and not taking from such a diverse background

SYLLABUS OF WORKSHOPS

This is a very sensitive part of any fermentation workshops. I cannot help noticing almost all the fermentation technology have almost the same course contents, Very basic and very introductory. More the type the salesman would have demonstrated after you have bought the fermentors!

They teach you only the basics. Maybe for that syllabus its more suitable for those who really knew nothing about fermentors

Usually when we attend workshops we are trying to learn things which are not in the books or lecture notes. We are interested in real experience or tips and techniques

You need to have specific workshops and more in depth. For example, just one three day workshop covering aeration of fermentors, another three days for fermentor sterilization. Now that is really hands on workshops!!

Organizers of fermentation workshops should look towards making more advanced and diverse topics for their course. In reality there are demands for such fermentation workshops and its application in various fields

“HANDS ON”= DEMONSTRATIONS?
It is just illogical to say that the workshop is hands on when the participants are only exposed to one fermentor. It is not hands on workshop if the paricipants are really not involved in the practical but just observing the demonstrator


TIME ALLOCATION
I really have my doubts you can learn really much or significant within two or three days. And covering such diverse topics….


THE FACILITATORS

The track record of the facilitators must be impressive with respect to their academic and professional experience. Sad to say in most of these workshops not much is said about the identity of the speakers or their experience. There is often a void in the listing of their industrial experience

What I find so sad is the claims of how good they are just “self praise “comments within their own websites. With regard to how good you are or not is not for us to judge but by others or our peers!

In the end as I can see it, the success of the workshop is based more from the positive changes, acquiring of knowledge and experience and the change it can bring back to the company. Failure to achieve this would mean that the workshop is a failure and just a waste of time and money but a well paid holiday and getting a valueless paper certificate of attendance

It is for this reason that when holding the workshops, that reputation is at stake. If the reputation is bad its doubtful more participants will be coming to attend more workshops










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