HOW TO BECOME A
Training Officer
What does a Training Officer do?
Training officers provide, or organise the provision of training for staff within an organisation. This can involve delivering training personally or arranging training events through other colleagues or external providers, consultants or academic institutions and training centres.
Some training officers may be responsible for a specific area such as management development or health and safety. Those with a general role will have a wide range of responsibilities, which could include:
organising all aspects of training events, including collating materials, bringing in external trainers, and arranging venues and catering
designing and delivering training programmes
coaching and assessing individuals or small groups on work-based training or college courses
arranging work shadowing
visiting schools and colleges involved in education/business links
arranging work experience for school and college students
administrative work.
Senior training officers may liaise with line managers to assist in identifying training needs and making sure that training meets the objectives of the organisation.
What's the working environment like working as a Training Officer?
Working hours are usually 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. More flexible hours may sometimes be required, for example if they are involved in residential courses or workshops, or if a shift system is in operation.
Training officers are based in an office, and may be expected to travel between company sites or to training venues, such as hotels or conference centres.
What does it take to become a Training Officer?
To be a training officer you should:
be committed to training and development
be able to relate to staff at all levels
have excellent spoken and written communication skills
have good organisation skills
be able to plan ahead and manage time
be good at encouraging and motivating people
have negotiating and influencing skills
have the ability to write clear reports and keep accurate records, including accounts and budget information
have good computer skills.
Training Officer Career Opportunities
Training officers work for a variety of employers. These include banks, local authorities, central government, the health service, hotels, retail organisations and manufacturing industries. Depending on the size of the organisation, they may be part of a training team or of the human resources/personnel department. Some training officers work for commercial training providers that run courses for other organisations.
There are opportunities throughout the country and abroad. Competition for jobs is fairly intense.
Smaller companies may not offer much scope for progression. Larger organisations may offer the opportunity to progress to senior training officer or training manager (see Training Manager profile).
It may be possible to become a freelance trainer or consultant. Since there is a growing tendency for companies to bring in outside experts, opportunities for freelance trainers are increasing.