Formateur

Formateur is a French noun that denotes a person who forms or trains others. In education and professional development, a formateur is a trainer who designs, delivers, and assesses training programs to develop skills and competencies. The term is gendered; formateur refers to a male trainer and formatrice to a female trainer.

In vocational and adult education, formateurs work in schools, training centers, or corporate settings. They conduct needs assessments, develop curricula and instructional materials, select pedagogical methods, deliver sessions, and evaluate learning outcomes. They may be internal staff or external consultants and can collaborate with tutors, learning managers, and assessors. Formateurs often work with apprentices, interns, or employees under regulated competency frameworks and may hold qualifications in training and education.

In political science, the term formateur has a distinct meaning. It refers to the person designated to form a government after elections, typically by the head of state. The formateur negotiates with political parties to assemble a governing coalition and to appoint a cabinet and programme. The role is central in parliamentary systems where cabinet composition depends on post-election negotiations. The process can involve several stages, including preliminary inquiries by an informateur, before a formateur presents a government proposal for approval.

Overall, formateur describes both a professional role in education and a political role in government formation, with gendered variants and context-dependent responsibilities.