How to Become a Corporate Trainer: Educational Requirements & Duties

Anyone interested in how to become a business trainer should be aware that they need a bachelor's degree in human resource management or another similar degree. Corporate trainers might benefit from a broad liberal arts background. There are several certification programs offering credentials to corporate trainers.

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

A corporate trainer has a wide range of job duties. These duties will ensure that a corporate workforce and all the employees within it are adequately trained so that a corporation will operate smoothly. The expected job duties of a corporate trainer include:

• Identifying training needs - One must be able to determine areas of weakness and determine ways to increase company productivity. In order to determine where areas of training are needed, one may interview employees, managers, or instructors, or conduct internal surveys to determine areas that require improvement.
• Selecting or designing training curriculum - One must be able to select the best and most appropriate materials for a certain topic from a wide variety. The selected materials must be well designed, up to date, and informative. If there are no sufficient resources one must be able to design ways in which areas that require improvement can be adequately taught to employees. Designing materials ensures that the highest standard of training is reached, trainers will be able to easily use the material, employees can easily understand the training, and there are no gaps or redundant information within them.
• Delivering seminars and directing training - One must be able to efficiently and properly deliver the specific training that has been selected for a corporation. All information must be clearly delivered so that employees are able to utilize this training opportunity. One must be able to present clearly and engage one's audience
• Evaluating training effectiveness - One must be able to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a particular training module and the employees within them. If any areas of the training were unsuccessful one must be able to recognize this and come up with plans for improvement.
• Overseeing administrative duties - One must be able to balance the administrative portion of training and be able to schedule classes, set up all equipment, coordinate enrollment to ensure that all employees are able to take part, and ensure that all training remains under budget.

Corporate training requirements include a number of skills. These skills will ensure that they are able to complete all required tasks of the job efficiently, and be the best teacher possible so that students are able to walk away from training programs having learned important skills. These essential skills include:

• Communication skills - A corporate trainer must be able to communicate with all levels of employees in a business. One must be able to appear professional and competent and earn the respect and attention of employers and students. One must be able to both effectively communicate the material of their training, but also be highly engaging and be able to tailor these presentations to their specific audience.
• Adaptability - A cooperate trainer must be able to adapt their attitude and teaching methods to every individual group of people within their training groups. If one is not able to work with a constantly changing audience, one's presentations will be flat and not result in optimal teaching. By being adaptable and tailoring ones teaching to the audience one will be highly successful.
• Passion - One must be highly passionate about their work and their teaching. A student will be able to tell if their instructor is bored or believes that they know everything and will be disengaged from the learning. A passionate teacher is able to better connect with their class and this passion will result in better learning opportunities for their students.

College graduates with a degree in human resources, such as a Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management or Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development, might have an edge in the employment market. Beneficial courses include business administration, behavioral sciences, principles of management, organizational structure, and industrial psychology. For those looking to take their education even further, a Master of Education in Corporate Training is available.

Since corporate trainers often teach employees about new software, it is helpful to take courses in computers and information systems. Certified corporate trainers can also take English courses to improve their writing skills or foreign language courses to enable conversation with diverse workplace populations. Aspiring corporate trainers with a broad liberal arts background should know how to develop curriculum, teach skills to individuals and groups, and evaluate training results.

Those who want to know how to become a certified corporate trainer should look into the options available. There are a number of corporate trainer certification programs available. Two popular programs are the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) program leading to the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) credential, and the Training Industry program leading to a Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) credential.

The ASTD certification is an industry-standard for proving proficiency and ability in the field. A minimum of three years of work experience is required before taking the certification exam; however, five years of experience is preferred by the organization. According to ASTD, preparation for this certification exam typically takes between 8-12 weeks of study in areas that include managing learning functions, improving human performance, and learning designs. The certification exam covers nine areas and consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. The work product assessment portion requires submission of a recent work sample and essay question.

The Training Industry offers a certification process that does not require previous work experience. This program begins with ten self-paced online learning modules, which take between 2 and 5 hours each to complete, according to the organization. After completing all 10 modules, the individual enrolls in either a virtual or in-person practicum (four 6-hour days for virtual; three 8-hour days for in-person) and then must pass a certification exam.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), training and development specialists earned a median salary of $61,210 in 2019. The employment outlook for this field was strong, with the number of training and development specialist jobs expected to increase by 9% from 2019-2029.

Corporate trainers teach and develop skills, such as communication or software training, for the employees of a corporation or nonprofit organization. If you're interested in becoming a corporate trainer, one of the first steps is to earn your bachelor's degree in human resource management or a similar field. Certification, obtained through experience, study and passing an exam, could also boost your career.