Training and development officer: Job description

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1. Job description
2. Salary and conditions
3. Entry requirements
4. Training
5. Career development
6. Employers and vacancy …
7. Related jobs

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Case studies

• Learning and development specialist: Jayne

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A training and development officer/manager handles 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 the ongoing, long-term improvement of employees' skills, enabling them to fulfil their potential within their organisation. Increasingly, training and development officers are required to be strategic rather than reactive, assessing the skills and knowledge within an organisation and determining what training is needed to grow and retain these skills. 

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 expanding 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 courses;
• 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 where relevant, being involved in the creation and/or delivery of e-learning packages;
• researching new technologies and methodologies in workplace learning and presenting this research.