6.01 Training and Continuing Education
- (A) Per diem interpreters and staff interpreters, subject to any Collective Bargaining Agreement, shall complete 10 hours of continuing education every year. Interpreters may carry over 5 hours of continuing education to a subsequent year. The continuing educational programs must be specific to improvement of interpretation skills and abilities. Interpreters should consult with OLA Management to determine which continuing education programs will satisfy this requirement. Formal teaching of interpretation and presentations in professional conferences may qualify for continuing education units with prior approval by OLA. Interpreters must submit documentation of successful completion of their continuing education courses to OLA Management.
- (B) Subject to sufficient appropriations and resources, OLA Management will offer yearly no cost training sessions for court interpreters. OLA will strive to provide trainings that equal the minimum number of the required annual CEUs and will be available to attend as on-demand recordings. All OLA trainings, including mandatory OLA trainings, count toward the required hours of continuing education. All mandatory OLA trainings will take place during work hours. Staff interpreters will have access to trainings available in Courtyard and E-learning.
- (C) OLA Management may encourage interpreters to participate in trainings it makes available to them. Professional development and continuing education may also be required as corrective action.
- (D) OLA Management will offer a variety of trainings for court personnel and judges about how to work with court interpreters effectively and how to maximize OLA resources. OLA Management will also collaborate with other court departments and court personnel in creating and conducting workshops designed to promote better and more efficient use of court interpreter resources.
- (E) On a yearly basis, OLA Management will keep interpreters updated on resources available from professional, academic and legal organizations.
6.02 Training Manual
The OLA Training Manual complements these Standards and Procedures.
6.03 Mentoring Program for Per Diem Interpreters
After successfully completing the Introductory Orientation and Training, applicants must participate in a Mentoring Program. The mission of the Mentoring Program is to draw upon the knowledge and experience of seasoned court interpreters. Mentors are selected by OLA from experienced certified or qualified Per Diem Interpreters and Staff Court Interpreters I and II. Mentors are selected from among interpreters who have expressed their desire to assist applicants and are committed to fulfilling the mission of the Mentoring Program. During the Mentoring Program, applicants must complete a minimum number of visits to court to perform guided observations and assignments, as determined by OLA Management.
Mentors introduce applicants to the Massachusetts Trial Court system. They assist applicants in setting goals, developing learning and problem-solving skills, and acquiring essential information. They are also able to clarify concerns regarding the professional and ethical standards that guide the role of the court interpreter. Mentors and applicants will follow general guidelines outlined in the Mentoring Program’s information packet which they will receive prior to the mentoring assignments.
- (A) At the conclusion of the Mentoring Program, mentors will submit a written evaluation of their assigned applicants to OLA Management. A copy of these evaluations will be added to the mentor’s professional files in order to apply the mentors training time toward their continuing education requirements.
- (B) OLA Management reserves the right to extend the length of or discontinue the participation of applicants who receive unfavorable evaluations during the Mentoring Program.
- (C) Mentors will communicate with judges and key court personnel about ongoing mentoring in their courts to provide an opportunity for applicants to be encouraged and assisted through the early stages of their professional interpreting training