Employee Training Specialists

Career summary

#no matching wois, checked 3/2/15 lh

Employee training specialists conduct orientation sessions for new employees. They also arrange on-the-job training for new employees to teach them the skills they need for their jobs. For current employees, they set up courses to help them maintain their skills. They also set up courses to prepare workers for jobs that require more skill, such as a management position or an executive job. They may work for their own firm or under contract with other companies.

Program development is an important part of the job for training specialists. They identify and assess training needs. Trainings may cover:

• Employee skill improvement
• Leadership development
• New employee orientation
• Reducing environmental impact

Specialists also periodically evaluate training programs. They assess the training materials developed by course instructors. In addition, they evaluate the quality of the teaching done by instructors. Instructors who do not meet standards take classes to improve their teaching skills. Specialists develop guides to help instructors be consistent in their teaching procedures. Many employee training specialists also teach classes and conduct training themselves.

Employee training specialists have many administrative tasks. They hire instructors and assign them to courses. They make sure instructors have all the materials they need to lead their courses. They also develop activities, such as group exercises, role-playing, and discussions. In addition, they schedule when and where classes will be taught. They might set up online trainings to reduce transportation costs and environmental impact.

Specialists also monitor the effectiveness of the training programs. They maintain records about which training courses employees take. They write reports about the effects of training on employees. They also monitor the cost of training. Specialists make sure they stay within their budget, and write reports about where they spend their money.

New training techniques are constantly being developed. Training specialists must keep their knowledge of these techniques up to date. They attend meetings and seminars to learn about new ideas. They also read magazines and journals.

Related careers

This career is part of the Business Management and Administration cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
• High School Teachers
• Human Resources Managers
• Human Resources Specialists
• Instructional Coordinators
• Middle School Teachers
• Public Health Educators
• University and College Teachers

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to employee training specialists.

• Screen, hire, and assign workers to positions.
• Learn about new training methods. Use computer-based training to save time and energy.
• Assign instructors to courses and help them get training materials.
• Create, plan, and conduct orientation and training for new and existing employees.
• Develop training programs for workers on skill building, leadership development, recycling, ways to reduce environmental impact, and other topics.
• Schedule training classes.
• Evaluate instructor performance. May suggest classes for instructors who need to improve their skills.
• Talk to supervisors or conduct surveys to identify training needs. Create alternative training materials if other methods are unsuccessful.
• Monitor training costs and prepare budget reports.
• Evaluate the success of training and write reports summarizing findings.
• Develop manuals and guides about training procedures.
• Meet with clients and managers to discuss training programs and goals. If working for a third party, negotiate contracts.
• Evaluate training materials prepared by instructors.
• Recommend trainees and employees to services, such as job placement assistance, if needed.
• Keep skills up to date by reading journals, books, and magazines.

Common work activities

Employee training specialists perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Teach others
• Get information needed to do the job
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Think creatively
• Use computers
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Coach others
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Analyze data or information
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Develop goals and strategies
• Develop and build teams
• Document and record information
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Evaluate information against standards
• Schedule work and activities
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Process information
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Guide, direct, and motivate others
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed
• Monitor and control resources

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, employee training specialists:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a medium to high level of social contact. They spend most of the time working with other employees.
• Are responsible for the work done by the instructors they hire.
• Write letters and memos on a weekly basis.
• Communicate with coworkers daily by telephone, e-mail, and in person.
• Work as part of a team. This is important because they coordinate the training needs of management and employees.
• Often speak in front of groups of people.
• Are sometimes placed in conflict situations.
• Are somewhat responsible for the health and safety of those they hire and train.

Physical work conditions

• Always work indoors.
• Work near other people, but have a few feet of space separating self from others.

Work performance

• Must fully complete and be exact in their work so that employees are well-trained.
• Repeat the same tasks during the day. This is somewhat important when using the computer to prepare schedules and reports.
• Can set most tasks and goals without talking to a supervisor.
• Rarely consult a supervisor before making a decision.
• Meet strict weekly deadlines.
• Make decisions weekly that strongly impact the company and staff.

Hours/travel

• Usually work 40 hours per week.
• May travel to training sites and conferences.

Physical demands

Employee training specialists frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for employee training specialists to be able to:

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for employee training specialists to be able to:

• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.

Skills and abilities

Employee training specialists need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand spoken information.
• Understand written information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and problem solve

• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.
• Go back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information without becoming confused.
• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.

Work with people

• Teach others how to do something.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.

Work with things

• Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Adult and Continuing Education Teaching
• Human Resources Management

Other programs of study to consider

• Business, General
• Curriculum and Instruction

Training

To work as an employee training specialist, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent
• have a bachelor's degree; and
• have one to five years of related work experience.

Education after high school

Employee training specialists often have a bachelor's degree. Common majors are personnel or human resources management. Education and business are other good choices.

You should take courses in performance appraisal and training and development. Courses in business and in social and behavioral sciences are helpful. As in other fields, computer skills are important.

Work experience

Employers often promote skilled workers to training specialist positions. They look for people with good writing, speaking, and interpersonal skills.

An internship is a good way to gain experience.

On-the-job training

As a new hire, you begin by assisting experienced trainers. You help prepare training materials, set up classrooms, and observe sessions. You gradually assume more duties until you are planning and presenting sessions on your own. On-the-job training may last up to one year.

Military training

The military trains people to be training specialists and instructors. Training lasts two to 14 weeks, depending on the specialty.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Communications
• Computer Applications
• Journalism
• Psychology
• Public Speaking

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers usually seek college graduates to fill entry-level jobs in personnel. Many employers prefer applicants with a degree in human resources or personnel administration. Others look for graduates who have a teaching or business background. Many employers prefer graduates who have work experience from an internship.

Employers look for a combination of experience, education, and management skills. Employers seek training specialists who can speak and write well.

Costs to workers

Workers who join a professional association may have to pay a membership fee and annual dues.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Training and Development Specialists 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Pay varies with the worker's experience, education, and level of responsibility. It also varies with the type, location, and size of the employer.

Employee training specialists usually receive benefits. Typical benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, health insurance, and a retirement plan.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Employee training specialists work in almost every industry.

Major employers:

• Federal, state, and local government agencies
• Business management companies
• Insurance companies

National outlook

Growth will be faster than average for occupation. As many jobs become increasing complex, employee training specialists will be needed to provide job-specific training programs. Growth may be limited as some companies use more online training resources however, this is a large occupation with many job opportunities.

Job prospects will be the best for those with experience developing online training programs.

Other resources

Association for Talent Development 
1640 King Street
PO Box 1443
Alexandria, VA 22313-1443
800.628.2783
703.683.8100

International Association of Workforce Professionals 
3267 Bee Caves Road
Suite 107-104
Austin, TX 78746
888.898.9960

Society for Human Resource Management 

Society for Technical Communication 
3251 Old Lee Highway, Suite 406
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.522.2075

Washington Business Week 
PO Box 1170
Renton, WA 98057
253.237.3545

References

Career cluster

• Business Management and Administration

Career path

• Enterprising (Business Communications)

O*Net  occupation

• Training and Development Specialists (13-1151.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 4 - Considerable preparation needed. A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

DOT occupations

• Commercial-instructor Supervisor (239.137-010) 
• Coordinator, Skill-training Program (169.167-062) 
• Inservice Coordinator, Auxiliary Personnel (079.127-010) 
• Port Purser (166.167-038) 
• Technical Training Coordinator (166.167-054) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Corporate Trainer

Holland occupational clusters

• Social/Artistic/Conventional
• Social/Conventional/Artistic

COPSystem

• Service Professional