There may be any of several levels that you were considering, but the question
got me remembering some pleasant events, and I've thought through this (and
applied it) a few times, so here's a progression of beekeeping training:
 
1) For initial exposure to recreational beekeeping; either  a 1 to 2 hour survey
of a beekeepers year (oriented to local conditions), with equipment display
(offered as one of several similar activities), or
beekeeping/honey displays refering interested people to the next level
 
2) a 10 hour introduction to beekeeping course, offered either in 10, 1 hour
weekly night school sessions, or a weekend (2  6 hour days). Topics oriented to
reflect the seasonal cycle. With either, a  field experience.
 
3) To help associate beekeepers in a local area: field days, varied between
spring (management), summer (queen rearing, honey extraction) and fall (winter
prep, wax processing). These can be with or without monthly winter meetings of a
local beekeeper association.
 
4) Ad hoc advanced seminars/workshops on specific topics: eg.  queen rearing,
specific diseases, feeding or wintering techniques. Some oriented to attract
experienced beekeepers to add to the dialogue.
 
5) A regularly scheduled course oriented to confirmed beekeepers. A formula
which has worked for about 40 years here, is the Beemasters Course, a 5
consecutive day, 30 hour course offered every 2 years. It has a core of basic
topics presented in some depth by a circle of instructors, plus  2 or 3 guests
who present their special topics (often research, but also refined management
systems etc). This formula keeps up the interest among core instructors (it's
also a professional development event) and has enough new material to attract
repeat attendance by beekeepers.
 
(This last item was the particular one that prompted me to respond. I really
think it has been a tremendous long term benefit to the industry here, improving
both the technical and the social/organizational aspects. I'm not sure if he
invented it, but John Corner (our Provincial Apiculturist from 1950 to 1982)
certainly intoduced and developed it to a high level, and I salute his wisdom.
Many people have added to it over the years, and the course is currently  in
very good shape with Mark Winston at the helm. The current edition runs this
month at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, and I expect the registration of 50
will be filled, at a $ 165 fee. I recommend the structure to anyone developing a
beekeeping training program.)
 
 
Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture
1201 103 Ave
Dawson Creek B.C.
        V1G 4J2  CANADA          Tel (604) 784-2225     fax (604) 784-2299
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