Training and Development Specialists
Additional Information
Duties
The following is a typical list of what training and development professionals do:
- Survey, interview, or discuss with supervisors or instructors to determine training requirements.
- Produce training manuals, online learning modules, and other educational resources.
- Choose from a variety of training resources available from various sources.
- Employees should be trained in a range of teaching methods.
- Support the evaluation of educational programs.
- Establish and maintain systems and equipment and coordinate enrollment while doing administrative duties such as cost tracking.
Creating, planning, and executing training programs are all jobs that fall within the purview of training professionals. To achieve this, they first need to know what an organization's requirements are. Custom training programs can then be developed, either online, in classrooms, or at training facilities.
They plan or lead training sessions in the form of lectures, team activities, and other formats. Other forms of training include videos, self-guided instructional manuals, and online applications. Employees can interact informally with coworkers, experts, and mentors during training that is designed to be collaborative.
Education
Bachelor's degrees in business fields such as organizational development or human resources are often required for training and development professionals. These include education, psychology, and communication.
In certain cases, people without bachelor's degrees can still land positions provided they have experience in training development and delivery. The employer's industry may need the experience be comprehensive and particular.
A Related Occupation's Work Experience
For most training and development experts, relevant job experience is essential to success. If you want to land a job, you'll need to have previous experience working in a relevant field, such as human resources or teaching.
Those with prior job experience in a relevant area or with online, mobile, or technology-based training may also be preferred by employers. Employers, on the other hand, may choose to employ individuals with a master's degree over those with more relevant job history.
Registration, Certification, and Licenses.
Certification is a sign of professional competence and trustworthiness, but it is not always needed. Certification may be a requirement for some jobs or preferred by employers for others. Many organizations, such as the Association for Talent Development and the International Society for Performance Improvement, provide certification programs in training and development.
Advancement
Training and development managers and human resources managers can be promoted from training and development professionals. Advancement often takes several years of work experience.
Qualities that may matter
Skills in analysis. These professionals have the responsibility of evaluating and selecting the most appropriate training options for every given circumstance.
Skills for working with others. When offering training programs, specialists must be able to collaborate with instructors, subject-matter experts, and students. Most of the work that specialists do is done as part of a team.
Skills in verbal and non-verbal communication. They must be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people and help them learn.
Creativity. When creating training materials, experts should think beyond the box. It's possible they'll have to come up with and adopt new strategies when it comes to training.
The ability to teach. An employee training program is developed and implemented by training and development professionals. They must be able to adapt their teaching methods to match the specific demands of a given audience.
Pay
The median annual wage for training and development specialists was $65,850 in May 2024. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,510, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $120,190.
Job Projections
Employment of training and development specialists is projected to grow 12 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.