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Training and Development Specialists Occupation Detailed Description

Training and Development Specialists career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Training and Development Specialists

The main tasks and work activities of Training and Development Specialists are to update professional knowledge, train personnel to enhance job skills, coordinate training activities, evaluate training programs, instructors, or materials. In general, for the Training and Development Specialists, learning Strategies, instructing, speaking, active Listening and other 17 skills are required.
Training and Development Specialists Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related ExperienceA considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
ExampleMany of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Training and Development Specialists jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
2.78%
Some College Courses
2.78%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
5.56%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
88.88%

Tasks and Work Activities of Training and Development Specialists

  • Keep up with developments in area of expertise by reading current journals, books, or magazine articles.
  • Present information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats, such as role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, or lectures.
  • Schedule classes based on availability of classrooms, equipment, or instructors.
  • Offer specific training programs to help workers maintain or improve job skills.
  • Monitor, evaluate, or record training activities or program effectiveness.
  • Attend meetings or seminars to obtain information for use in training programs or to inform management of training program status.
  • Coordinate recruitment and placement of training program participants.
  • Evaluate training materials prepared by instructors, such as outlines, text, or handouts.
  • Develop alternative training methods if expected improvements are not seen.
  • Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, focus groups, or consultation with managers, instructors, or customer representatives.
  • Select and assign instructors to conduct training.
  • Devise programs to develop executive potential among employees in lower-level positions.
  • Negotiate contracts with clients for desired training outcomes, fees, or expenses.
  • Refer trainees to employer relations representatives, to locations offering job placement assistance, or to appropriate social services agencies, if warranted.
  • Develop or implement training programs related to efficiency, recycling, or other issues with environmental impacts.
  • Evaluate modes of training delivery, such as in-person or virtual, to optimize training effectiveness, training costs, or environmental impacts.
  • Design, plan, organize, or direct orientation and training programs for employees or customers.
  • Obtain, organize, or develop training procedure manuals, guides, or course materials, such as handouts or visual materials.
  • Monitor training costs and prepare budget reports to justify expenditures.
  • Supervise, evaluate, or refer instructors to skill development classes.
  • Training and Teaching OthersIdentifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Thinking CreativelyDeveloping, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Coaching and Developing OthersIdentifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersTranslating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Update professional knowledge.
  • Train personnel to enhance job skills.
  • Coordinate training activities.
  • Evaluate training programs, instructors, or materials.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of personnel policies or practices.
  • Coordinate personnel recruitment activities.
  • Conduct surveys in organizations.
  • Develop training materials.
  • 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.
  • Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.
  • Monitor financial indicators.
  • Supervise employees.

Skills and Abilities for Training and Development Specialists

  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active ListeningGiving 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.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Operations AnalysisAnalyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Information OrderingThe 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).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Time SharingThe ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • MemorizationThe ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Laser printerse.g. Laser printers
  • Liquid crystal display projectore.g. Liquid crystal display LCD projectors
  • Overhead projectorse.g. Overhead display projectors
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Personnel and Human ResourcesKnowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  • Communications and MediaKnowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Sociology and AnthropologyKnowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.