Training and Development Specialist

Design or conduct work-related training and development programs to improve individual skills or organizational performance. May analyze organizational training needs or evaluate training effectiveness.

On the job, you would:

Present information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats, such as role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, or lectures.
Obtain, organize, or develop training procedure manuals, guides, or course materials, such as handouts or visual materials.
Evaluate modes of training delivery, such as in-person or virtual, to optimize training effectiveness, training costs, or environmental impacts.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Training and development specialists must evaluate training programs, methods, and materials and choose those that best fit each situation.

Collaboration skills. Specialists need strong interpersonal skills because delivering training programs requires coordinating with instructors, subject-matter experts, and trainees. Specialists accomplish much of their work through teams.

Communication skills. Training and development specialists must convey information clearly and facilitate learning to diverse audiences.

Creativity. Specialists should be resourceful when developing training materials. They may need to think of and implement new approaches when considering training methods.

Instructional skills. Training and development specialists deliver employee training programs. They must have strong training skills to meet the learning needs of a particular group.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		86%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		86%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		85%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		85%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		83%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		78%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		78%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		77%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		76%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		76%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		76%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		75%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		73%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		72%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
		71%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		69%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		95%	Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
		61%	Artistic - Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
		61%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		89%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
		72%	Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
		72%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
		64%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
		61%	Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
		61%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		78%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		75%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		75%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		75%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		75%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		75%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		69%	Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
		69%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		69%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		69%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
		66%	Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
		66%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
		56%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
		56%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		53%	Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		71%	Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
		61%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
		59%	Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
		59%	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
		59%	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
		57%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
		57%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
		57%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
		57%	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
		57%	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
		55%	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
		55%	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
		54%	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
		54%	Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
		52%	Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Coordinate personnel recruitment activities.

Evaluate training programs, instructors, or materials.

Coordinate training activities.

Conduct surveys in organizations.

Develop training materials.

Coordinate training activities.

Train personnel on managerial topics.

Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.

Advise others on human resources topics.

Train personnel in organizational or compliance procedures.

Conduct surveys in organizations.

Develop training materials.

Coordinate training activities.

Develop training materials.

Coordinate training activities.

Monitor financial indicators.

Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.

Evaluate training programs, instructors, or materials.

Supervise employees.

Update professional knowledge.

Train personnel to enhance job skills.

Coordinate training activities.

Train personnel to enhance job skills.

Evaluate effectiveness of personnel policies or practices.

Evaluate training programs, instructors, or materials.

Update professional knowledge.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		100%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		89%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		88%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		86%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		84%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		82%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		82%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		79%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		73%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		71%	Public Speaking - How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job?
		68%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		66%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		64%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
		59%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
		59%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		56%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
		54%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		53%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		51%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
		70%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		90%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		89%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
		83%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		83%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		83%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
		82%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		80%	Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
		79%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
		78%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		77%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
		76%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		74%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		73%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		70%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		68%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
		66%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		65%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		64%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
		64%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
		64%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
		63%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		61%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
		57%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		57%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
		57%	Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
		56%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

What Training and Development Specialists Do

training and development specialists image

Training and development specialists guide employees through exercises.

Training and development specialists plan and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.

Duties

Training and development specialists typically do the following:

Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, or consultations with managers or instructors
Design and create training manuals, online learning modules, and course materials
Review training materials from multiple sources and choose appropriate materials
Deliver training to employees using a variety of instructional techniques
Assist in evaluating training programs
Perform administrative tasks such as monitoring costs, scheduling classes, setting up systems and equipment, and coordinating enrollment

Training and development specialists help create, plan, and run training programs for businesses and organizations. To do this, they must first assess the needs of an organization. They then develop custom training programs that may take place online, in classrooms, or in training facilities.

Training and development specialists organize or run training sessions using lectures, team exercises and other formats. Training also may be in the form of a video, a self-guided instructional manual, or an online application. Training may be collaborative, allowing employees to connect informally with colleagues, experts, and mentors.

Work Environment

Training and development specialists held about 385,800 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of training and development specialists were as follows:

Educational services; state, local, and private	12%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	11
Healthcare and social assistance	11
Finance and insurance	9
Administrative and support services	8

Training and development specialists spend much of their time working with people, giving presentations, and leading training activities. They also may need to travel to training sites.

Work Schedules

Most training and development specialists work full time during regular business hours.

Getting Started

Education:

78%

Bachelor's Degree

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

How to Become a Training and Development Specialist

Training and development specialists must have strong instructional skills to meet the learning needs of a particular group.

Training and development specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree and related work experience. However, candidates who do not have a bachelor’s degree sometimes qualify for jobs if they have relevant experience.

Education

Training and development specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree, often in a business field such as organizational development or human resources. Other fields of degree include education, social science, psychology, and communications.

Candidates who do not have a bachelor’s degree sometimes qualify for jobs if they have experience developing and delivering training. The experience may need to be extensive and specific to the employer’s industry.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Related work experience is important for most training and development specialists. Positions may require work experience in areas such as staff development or instructional design or in related occupations, such as human resources specialists or teachers.

Employers also may prefer to hire candidates who have work experience in a relevant industry or with virtual learning, mobile training, and technology-based tools. However, employers may hire candidates who have a master’s degree instead of work experience.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Although not usually required, certification shows professional expertise and credibility. However, some employers prefer to hire certified candidates, and some positions require certification. The Association for Talent Development (ATD) and International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) are among the organizations that offer certification programs in training and development.

Advancement

Training and development specialists may advance to training and development manager or human resources manager positions. Workers typically need several years of experience to advance.

Job Outlook

Employment of training and development specialists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 35,400 openings for training and development specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Employees in many occupations are required to take continuing education and skill development courses throughout their careers, creating demand for workers who lead training activities.

Employment of training and development specialists is projected to grow in many industries as companies develop and introduce new media and technology into their training programs. Innovations in training methods and learning technology should continue throughout the next decade.

In addition, some organizations meet their employees’ needs by outsourcing instruction to firms that specialize in training and development.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about training and development specialists, visit

Association for Talent Development (ATD)

International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI)

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of training and development specialists.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Career and Technical Education Teachers	Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts.	Bachelor's degree	$61,450
Compensation and Benefits Managers	Compensation and benefits managers plan, develop, and oversee programs to pay employees.	Bachelor's degree	$131,280
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists oversee wage and nonwage programs that an organization provides to its employees in return for their work. They also evaluate position descriptions to determine details such as classification and salary.	Bachelor's degree	$67,780
Human Resources Managers	Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization.	Bachelor's degree	$130,000
Human Resources Specialists	Human resources specialists recruit, screen, and interview job applicants and place newly hired workers in jobs. They also may handle compensation and benefits, training, and employee relations.	Bachelor's degree	$64,240
Instructional Coordinators	Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, implement it, and assess its effectiveness.	Master's degree	$66,490
Labor Relations Specialists	Labor relations specialists interpret and administer labor contracts.	Bachelor's degree	$82,010
Project Management Specialists	Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project.	Bachelor's degree	$95,370
School and Career Counselors and Advisors	School counselors help students develop academic and social skills. Career counselors and advisors help people choose a path to employment.	Master's degree	$60,140
Training and Development Managers	Training and development managers plan, coordinate, and direct skills- and knowledge-enhancement programs for an organization’s staff.	Bachelor's degree	$120,000

Training and Development Specialist

What they do:

On the job, you would:

Important Qualities

Personality

Characteristics of this Career

Strengths

Values of the Work Environment

Aptitude

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Job Details

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

Tasks & Values

What Training and Development Specialists Do

Duties

Work Environment

Work Schedules

Getting Started

How to Become a Training and Development Specialist

Education

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Advancement

Job Outlook

Employment

Contacts for More Information

Similar Occupations