Make Mediation Your Day Job

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” 

– Albert Einstein

A Demand for Mediation

As more legislation and judges encourage the directing of disputes towards mediation, the industry is invariably growing. The robust nature of a qualification in mediation will give a graduate a unique set of skills and advantage when looking for employment.

Mediation helps people who don't see eye to eye to sort out their differences as quickly as possible - saving time, money and stress. Rapid and informal resolution is far more preferable to costly and lengthy court cases or employment tribunals.

Introducing the Special Purpose Award in Mediation

From September Griffith College will be offering a Special Purpose Award Certificate in Mediation, initially from its Cork campus.

This Certificate in Mediation is unique in that it is validated by HETAC/QQI at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and also recognised by the Mediators Institute of Ireland (MII) - meaning graduates of this programme may apply to the MII to be certified to practice.

By enabling participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the concepts and methods underlying the development and use of mediation, the programme seeks to actualise their ability to implement the skills to practise, assessed in a practical, applied way.

A futher aim of the programme is to demystifying the law surrounding mediation in order that the learner may embark upon a career involving the use of mediation, confident of the parameters within which they work.  This involves developing the learners´ familiarity with and understanding of ethical considerations in the field of mediation and cultivating their ability to discerningly evaluate the ethical code of practice of one organisation of mediators vis-à-vis another.

The course duration is 4 weekends over four months and will be run twice yearly in September and February at both the Cork and Dublin campuses.

The lecturers are experienced mediators, academics and conflict management trainers with many years’ experience in both practice and training. The certificate is a combination of both online and in-class teaching and learning.

Find out more or email for further information.

Careers in Mediation

Ireland’s Mediation Bill contains a requirement that mediators will be obliged to disclose their qualifications to potential clients. What better way to differentiate yourself in the mediation field than by showing you have a dual HETAC and MII recognised Mediation qualification!

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald has confirmed her ongoing commitment to the Mediation Bill in a recent communication to Griffith College with a view to officially publishing the text of the Bill as soon as possible.

There are lots of opportunities for mediators. The knowledge, skills and competencies developed in the SPA in Mediation are transferable to both further studies and practice. This is not confined to the area of Law and Dispute Resolution but can transfer into Business, Social Studies, Community Affairs, Human Resources, Management and across any area of life where conflict may arise.

Graduates will have a range of skills that will be attractive across many sectors as a result of acquired skills such as critical thinking and evaluation, ability to self-manage and self-evaluate, independent learning, conflict management, communication, active listening and mediation.

Useful Links

Special Purpose Award Certificate in Mediation

Mediator’s Institute of Ireland

Mediator Tammy Lenski’s blog on her experiences is a great source of information.

Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (although a UK website there are some useful resources)

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a form of dispute resolution where an independent, impartial person helps two or more people reach a solution that’s acceptable to everyone.

Mediators do not make judgments or determine outcomes - they ask questions that help to uncover underlying problems, assist the parties to understand the issues and help them to clarify the options for resolving their difference or dispute.

Key Skills of a Good Mediator

An effective mediator takes a sensitive and intense situation and works to defuse the participants’ emotions by speaking in a way that both sides understand and respect. Some of the key skills and qualities required are:

Knowledge of the Area of the Dispute

Listening Skills

Patience

Impartiality

Empathy

Analytical and creative problem solving skills

Trust

Tenacity