What does a Training Specialist do?
Training specialists design, develop, implement, and oversee training programs for businesses, organizations, and educational institutions. They identify the organization’s training and development needs and create entirely new initiatives or reform and improve existing programs. They may directly present training content or supervise trainers and other staff. They identify goals and desired outcomes, and establish assessment standards and benchmarks to evaluate the program’s success. They manage the production of guides, videos, and other supporting content. They commonly work in close collaboration with internal stakeholders and teams throughout the program development process.
Training specialists typically have a bachelor’s degree in a business or human relations field, and a background in HR, ideally in roles that involve developing training programs. These positions require excellent project management skills and an in-depth understanding of common business training techniques.
- Maintain program data and tools to train staff and others.
- Liaise with departments to manage and assign training programs.
- Plan and coordinate proper venues, timing, and modality.
- Make recommendations to training agenda or curriculum, as necessary.
- Oversee and participate in the development of training materials,
- Maintain attendance logs, incident reports, and other necessary records.
- Lead, mentor, counsel and manage performance of project staff (depending upon project structure).
- Serve as a thought leader, mentor and coach on continuous improvement tools.
- Provide input on safety, quality, or efficiency risks to the manufacturing process.
- Support other teams with projects as directed.
- Ensure training and other projects comply with applicable regulations and Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) standards.
- Manage staffing needs and ensure ratios are maintained to provide effective operational performance.
- Act as a change agent to drive continuous improvement throughout.
- Manage the setup and start-up training operations on new ship builds.
- Compile and analyze data to help with budget preparation and training priorities.
- Be responsible for a values-based approach to leadership education and development within the company.
- Track metrics daily to ensure that all departments are running effectively.
- Bachelor's or Graduate's Degree in business, business administration, computer science or engineering, or equivalent experience.
- Experience with LMS, PeopleSoft HCM, and Adobe Creative Suite software and systems.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and attention to detail.
- A problem solver and critical thinker dedicated to continuous improvement.
- Prior experience in a consulting position.
- Able to collaborate and also lead with decision making.
- Sound time management skills.
How much does a Training Specialist make?
Base Pay
Additional Pay
$65,338
/ yrTraining Specialist Career Path
Learn how to become a Training Specialist, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Training Specialist Insights
City Year UK“This was my first role out of university and it was fun and had great training.”
Life Time“Opportunity to grow as a trainer and be surrounded by some of the best in the industry”
Vitality UK“I have regained my work life balance and I really enjoy working for this company!”
Cape Air“The job is great for anyone who is passionate about the industry and enjoys a consistent schedule.”
Santander“falta de capacity en algunas areas hace que se comprometa el work and life balance.”
Standards Australia“Everyone is overworked and people have to work nights and weekends just to stay afloat.”
Trinzo“You get great autonomy and the chance to bring your new ideas to the table.”
Alpha Delta Pi“Traveling around the country was a really cool opportunity and I learned so much from this job.”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of training specialists
The typical day of a training specialist includes creating and overseeing the different training programs of a company. They may also be in charge of evaluating and improving current training programs to improve efficiency or fill in-demand skill gaps in current team members.
Working conditions for training specialists are typically good, allowing them to have a traditional workday with nights and weekends off. The best part about being a training specialist is that they provide a lot of value to companies, allowing them to increase the productivity and training of current employees.
Training specialists receive competitive pay. The average salary for a training specialist is $65,338 per year in the United States. More experienced professionals with a college degree or training certifications may make more, sometimes up to $99,863 per year.
One challenge working as a training specialist is that without good leadership and planning skills, individuals may feel overwhelmed with some tasks, like analyzing current training needs and implementing new training programs that produce results from start to finish.