# Becoming a Trainer or Check-off Volunteer

The makerspace is run entirely by volunteers, and that includes training. We need members to lead trainings and check-offs, and teaching a tool is one of the best ways to give back and meet people.

## Who can check someone off

In Journeyman, a certification on a tool is granted by someone who is already certified on that same tool. So once you are certified on a tool and confident on it, you can help others get certified on it too. Board members and designated certifiers can grant certifications on any tool.

When you check someone off, you are vouching for them. Your name is recorded with the certification. Only sign off on someone when you are satisfied they can use the tool safely on their own.

<p class="callout warning">To be confirmed: whether there are higher-risk tools where only specific trainers may check people off, and any minimum experience before a member trains others.</p>

## How to get involved

- Ask in **#general** on Discord or talk to a board member about which tools need trainers.
- Talk to the Area Champion for the area you know well. See **Volunteer Runbooks: Area Champions**.
- If you already know an area well, let the board know. New members who are familiar with an area can sometimes be signed off at orientation.
- If you would rather teach a group, see **Classes and Instructors: Teaching at the Makerspace**.

## What a good check-off covers

Use the tool's SOP page as your checklist when there is one: certification requirements, pre-use checks, the procedure, consumables and known quirks. Walk through the pre-use inspection together (see **Training and Certification: Pre-Use Inspection**), and make sure the person knows how this particular machine differs from similar tools.