The Met Office College is able to offer professional forecaster training to employees of other organisations with an interest in meteorology. Training for forecasters is divided into three programmes - Foundation, Professional development and Specialist.
All our courses cover any necessary new theory, but they are all essentially practical courses based upon an assessment of the current competencies that practising forecasters need.
Foundation programme
The Foundation programme is designed for those people who are new to forecasting. At the end of the programme, the student is capable of operating in any forecasting environment without the support of more-experienced staff. This programme provides a complete set of fundamental forecasting competencies that all forecasters require.
The programme provides training in the synoptic meteorological knowledge and fundamental forecasting skills needed to take up a forecasting post. On-the-job training is then carried out by the organisation employing the trainee forecaster.
More about the Foundation programme
Professional Training Course calendar
Professional development programme
The Professional development programme is designed for those who are able to work in the forecasting environment independently of others, but who need to develop some of the core forecasting competencies further.
This programme consists of two parts.
1. The Advanced Forecasting Course.
This has been designed to complement and follow on from the Foundation
Training Programme after a period of two to three years. It can also
be used to complete basic forecaster training which has been taken elsewhere.
It introduces some new meteorological theory and enhances the forecaster's
understanding of the behaviour of the atmosphere, enabling them to demonstrate
an informed opinion on NWP model performance. It is particularly suitable
for staff who may shortly be moving to positions of responsibility within
a forecasting team.
2. The following four additional short courses.
- Satellite Imagery Interpretation
- Using NWP Products
- Summer or Winter Forecasting
- Probability Forecasting
They are aimed at a specific forecasting interest and can be attended
in any order.
Professional Training Course calendar
Specialist forecaster programme
The Specialist forecaster programme is designed for those who have a need for forecasting skills that are not required of all forecasters generally.
The specialist programme consists of a Global
Meteorology course and a Wave
Model Interpretation course. The Global Meteorology course focuses on weather in different parts of the world.