ITU has a number of sport development educational programs in place that are designed to facilitate all levels from grassroots to Olympic Games level. The following is a brief outline of those programs:

ITU Mentorship Programs covers the following:

1. Technical Officials Mentorship is a program where ITU Sport Department identifies technical officials who have progressed through the ITU system and are willing to act as mentors to developing technical official in their region or country. Serving as a mentor is an integral part of Level 3 Technical Official Certification. The Mentors and the Mentees will be assigned on multiple occasions as Technical Delegate and Assistant Technical Delegate of an ITU Event. The appointment of the Mentors and Mentees is the responsibility of the Sport Department in collaboration with the Continental Confederations.

2. Assistant Technical Delegate Program is a program where ITU Sport Department targets Level 1 and Level 2 technical officials who have the required level of classroom education, practical experience, and skills-set to become an effective and competent technical delegate. The official will be assigned to work alongside an experienced ITU technical delegate on ITU events. The program is an integral part of Level 2 and Level 3 Technical Official Certification.

3. Facilitators Training Program is designed to ‘teach the teachers’, in that the participants will be required to take an educator’s workshop where they will be taught specific teaching skills and required to do mock presentation/exam prior to being certified as an ITU technical program educator.

ITU Technical Education Program has four main components:

1. Technical Courses:
1. Technical Officials Courses
1. Level 1 One day and a half course provides the participants with the theoretical and practical training required to make them capable of officiating at National Events as a Technical Delegate and at Continental events as a Technical Official.
2. Level 2 The two-day course is designed to enhance the skills of the participants in officiating Continental Cups, Multisport Continental Championships, and Multisport Series Events as Technical Delegates. The knowledge they will gain will be also be used at World Triathlon Series, World Cups and Major Events as Technical Officials.
3. Level 3 The 3 days course covers World Triathlon Series venue and technical operations, Olympic policies and procedures, paratriathlon operations, team relay operations, communication strategies among TOs, athletes and coaches, and sustainability.

2. Event Organisers Course, Continental level
   This course is based on ITU events organizer’s manual and the ITU guidelines on event management.

3. Community Level Courses
   This course is designed to prepare communities, club and school to present grassroots and “Tri for Fun events” locally with the focus being on basic ITU competition rules and event management principles.

4. Paratriathlon Classifier Courses
   Information available soon

2. Observers Program is a program that takes place annually at the World Triathlon Series Grand Final and might take place on any World Triathlon Series, World Cups and Continental Championships. It is particularly focused on future ITU event organizers and consists of a 1 day seminar with a series of presentations on all key aspects of event hosting. It also includes a back of house tour of the venue and a race day accreditation to persons with key responsibilities and areas of interest where they can shadow the current event team.
   Click here for the 2014 Observers Seminar application.

3. Transfer of Knowledge (TOK) is a system where the current World Triathlon Series Grand Final organisers provide the next host with ‘a best practice’ kit that includes copies of all key documents as well as a follow up one day TOK presentation to the next years technical and operational teams under the direction of ITU Events Department.
4. ITU Self Funded Officials Program is an opportunity where technical officials with appropriate credentials for the level of the particular competition may apply to serve as a technical official to further their experience and knowledge, but are required to fund all expenses incurred. Applications are to be sent to the Sport Department. Click here for an application.