Humanitarian training opportunities with RedR

RedR Australia train professionals and technical experts for humanitarian field work for UN agencies and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). RedR Australia maintains a register of field-ready humanitarian aid workers ready for deployment in times of natural disaster or conflict.

Preparing for many situations

There are four training courses provided by RedR Australia, Essentials of Humanitarian Practice (EHP), Personal Security & Communications (PSC), Humanitarian Logistics in Emergencies; and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene in Emergencies (WASH). For more information on these click here: www.redr.org.au.

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  PSC training

  The PSC course aims to give participants a level of knowledge and skills which may be applicable to low-risk areas through to highly unstable environments.

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  PSC trip planning

  In this course participants undertake a trip planning exercise during the Personal Security and Communications course.

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  WASH training

  Water, Sanitation & Hygiene in Emergencies provides an introduction to public health engineering in emergencies for humanitarian workers.

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  EHP water training

  The Essentials of Humanitarian Practice course equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to a humanitarian crisis.

Personal Experiences – Simon Millichamp, Project Manager, Arup

In 2009 I undertook the EHP and PSC courses back to back over 10 days at Dookie (near Shepparton), north of Melbourne. These are both compulsory training for work in humanitarian aid and deployment through RedR. All courses incorporate real-life field exercises and role plays and are supported by experts in the field, aid workers with recent and relevant experience and other support staff.

The EHP intensive course provided an in-depth insight into the aid world, as well as the needs of vulnerable people in complex and challenging settings, while the PSC course was scenario-based and gave me the tools to manage safety, operate communications equipment and develop team skills.

This was a great way to start my association with RedR and learn about the world of humanitarian aid work. The courses are very realistic and very hands on, with lots of role plays to help grasp concepts, gain an understanding of the different roles in an emergency operation and a feel for the other organisations involved in facilitating a coordinated emergency response.

RedR Australia works with UNHCR, WFP and UNICEF as well as the NGO community to provide training in Australia and throughout the world. Right now RedR has 34 relief workers in the field assisting humanitarian operations in Africa, the Pacific, South-East Asia, Haiti and Pakistan

Training and deployment can have personal and career benefits. It helps to put your technical training into practice in the field, for real-life humanitarian situations. It also provides other experiences which can be beneficial and personally rewarding: networking with other professionals and humanitarian workers, travel, and most importantly, assisting those people in need.

Some basic requirements to be able to join the RedR register include:

- Technical skill or profession (eg: civil engineer)

- Practical experience (eg: on-site experience)

- Remote / field experience (eg: work in isolated part of Australia or overseas)

- Undertake RedR training courses (EHP and PSC as a minimum)

- Pass an interview with senior RedR staff.

Find Out More

You can find out more about RedR and stay in touch with their activities via:

RedR website: www.redr.org.au

Facebook: www.facebook.com/redr.australia

YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RedRAus/featured featuring short stories from the field.

Or click here to download a RedR Australia fact sheet in pdf format