EGI-InSPIRE:Training Working Group

Introduction

The purpose of this Training Working Group is to develop and monitor a training coordination strategy for the EGI community. By EGI community we mean the community of actual and potential users of Distributed Computing Infrastructure (DCI) across Europe. Research communities in Europe frequently collaborate with communities outside of Europe so there will also be a need for training that relates to systems outside of Europe. Equally, there will be a similar demand for European training from communities outside of Europe to support such collaboration.

EGI already has a training events calendar and a training materials database where information can be deposited and found. However, the plan is to extend this functionality with a broader support structure whereby users can submit suggestions and requests for training and others can offer topics around which training could be developed or events could be planned. Such functionality would enable people planning events and those developing training material to have advanced knowledge of requirements and opportunities. The end result will be a more productive training landscape that is better aligned to the needs of the communities.

Goals, members

The role of the Training Task Force is to establish an interactive market place as efficiently as possible and then to monitor how it works to ensure that it serves the needs of the whole community but with the focus on end-users. In other words, the actual matchmaking of need and provision would take place through the online application or portal not within the working group. Therefore, it is not a necessity for every project and NGI to have a representative on the Working Group only those with a specific interest in the wider strategic issues relating to training. We will of course create mailing lists and mechanisms - for example this Wiki page - to keep the whole training community informed of the actual training resources themselves.

How to participate

The Training Working Group has been established by the EGI User Community Support Team (UCST). Any NGI, DCI project is invited to put forward potential members. Please get in touch with the UCST if you are interested in participating: ucst@egi.eu

Meetings

It is envisaged that the Task Force will hold telephone conferences once a month with the potential to hold a face to face meeting during the EGI User and Technical Forums.

Tasks

The first major goal for the Working Group is to support the Programme Committee for the EGI User Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania April 2011 in driving forward the organisation of training events as a result of the emerging strategy.