A training and development officer/manager manages the learning and professional development of an organisation’s workforce.

Trainers equip staff with the knowledge, practical skills and motivation to carry out work-related tasks. Training officers either deliver the training themselves or arrange for a third party trainer to do so.

Training and development officers help with ongoing, long-term improvement of employees’ skills, enabling them to fulfil their potential within their organisation.

Typical work activities

The nature of the training and development role is industry-specific, with the level of responsibility and variety of activities dependent on the type and size of organisation. However, activities are likely to include some or all of the following:

Identifying training and development needs within an organisation through job analysis, appraisal schemes and regular consultation with business managers and human resources departments; designing and developing training and development programmes based on both the organisation’s and the individual’s needs; considering the costs of planned programmes and keeping within budgets as assessing the return on investment of any training or development programme is becoming increasingly important;

Working in a team to produce programmes that are satisfactory to all relevant parties in an organisation, such as line managers, accountants and senior managers at board level;

Developing effective induction programmes; conducting appraisals; devising individual learning plans; producing training materials for in-house skills programmes;

Managing the delivery of training and development programmes and, in a more senior role, devising a training strategy for the organisation; monitoring and reviewing the progress of trainees through questionnaires and discussions with managers; ensuring that statutory training requirements are met; evaluating training and development programmes;

Amending and revising programmes as necessary, in order to adapt to changes occurring in the work environment; helping line managers and trainers solve specific training problems, either on a one-to-one basis or in groups; keeping up to date with developments in training by reading relevant journals, going to meetings and attending relevant courses; having an understanding of e-learning techniques and visual training techniques, and where relevant, being involved in the creation and/or delivery or e-learning packages.

Evolving with the digital transformation, self-developing with new skills sets and changing skills acts.

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