- What does a training and development manager do?
- Training and development manager career path
- Training and development manager salaries
- Qualifications and training
- Training and development manager skills
- Pros and cons of being a training and development manager
- Work-life balance
- Typical employers hiring training and development managers
- Related jobs to training and development manager
Do you have a passion for problem solving and enjoy working with new people? Do you think you’re a good motivator and would enjoy developing techniques to help others reach their full potential? If you want a job using your management and planning skills, a career as a training and development manager could be perfect for you.
Are you interested in working as a training and development manager? Explore the jobs in HR, recruitment and executive search available right now.
What does a training and development manager do?
Training and development managers organise and run training programmes within a business’s workforce to help advance professional development and ensure employees are carrying out their duties effectively. Sometimes this job may be listed under a different title, such as a learning and development specialist, training officer or manager or learning officer or manager. Here are some examples of what working within the role day to day may look like:
- Tailor training and development plans to meet the specific needs of a business. This may be achieved through appraisal schemes, job analysis and liaising with HR departments and business managers.
- Organise and provide leadership for a training team.
- Create induction programmes for training new staff.
- Track the efficiency of training programmes through gathering feedback on employee development.
- Ensure that training and the materials provided are cost effective and within a business’s budget.
- Collaborate with other departments in a business to ensure training is effective across all disciplines and areas.
- Write reports and keep records about how the business is developing and the training which is most effective.
Training and development manager career path
Entry-level
Those looking to become a training development manager often have several years of experience working in the sector in a related job, such as a training administrator or an assistant training officer. Working in these more junior roles first will provide you with the experience and expertise you need before you move up into a managerial position.
Career progression
From these entry level roles, you can progress to higher levels of responsibility working as a team leader, an advisor or in a position in junior management. At the higher levels, you can move up into positions in middle management or as a partner or head of department, before occupying a position in senior management.
In order to progress in your career, it’s important to demonstrate great personal achievement and dedication within your sector. It may be beneficial to complete additional training and qualifications to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and some individuals go on to secure chartered membership.
As your career develops you may choose to move into a related sector such as general management, HR or personnel or even set up your own firm as a self-employed trainer or coaching consultant.
Training and development manager salaries
- At entry level you can expect to earn around £24,000 per year, depending on your experience.
- With several years experience the salaries for training and development managers can rise to around £28,000 to £40,000 per year.
- Significant experience can mean salaries rise to between £40,000 and £60,000 per year.
Qualifications and training
To work as a training and development manager, you need a combination of skills and experience. Here is the education that you need to kick start your career in the sector:
Education
There is no set entry path to become a training and development manager. However, it may be helpful to have a degree in a related subject, such as business studies, human resources management or communications. Some employers may also look for individuals who have completed courses with the CIPD, so it's a good idea to look at their accredited learning courses.
However, if a degree or further education is not your first choice, then relevant apprenticeships are available. Many companies offer apprenticeships where you learn about the role by working in it with industry experts. Some apprenticeships include a university element where you work towards a degree while working for the firm. To become a training and development manager, you could start out on a learning and development consultant higher apprenticeship or a senior people professional degree apprenticeship. You can explore the apprenticeships available with this government apprenticeship search tool.
There is also the possibility of getting into this area directly through work. You could start as a training officer, recruitment consultant or a business administrator in a HR department and then progress through promotion.
Work experience
Previous experience is important when looking to become a training and development manager and a great way to gain this is by securing a summer placement or internship. By working alongside professionals in an organisation or business, you’ll gain an understanding of the industry and it may help hone the areas of training and development interest you most. Many top firms offer internships during the summer aimed at students just starting out. Take a look at our current internships in HR, recruitment and executive search.
Placements and internships also provide an opportunity to network with existing employees and gain an idea of what kind of company you’d like to be a part of. Here is our bright advice for networking successfully.
Training and development manager skills
Education is an important building block on the road to securing your career in training and development, but it is also important to consider the skill set required for the job. Here are some of the hard and soft skills that you need to flourish in your career:
Hard skills
- IT literacy. Much of the day to day organisational tasks of a training and development manager are completed through computer technology, so competency on software packages is a requirement.
Soft skills
- Interpersonal skills. A training and development manager is required to build relationships with colleagues from all departments in a business, and to motivate employees to be the best they can be. Sometimes, the role requires a degree of delicacy and empathy, as you challenge people’s attitudes and invite them to change their perspectives for a more cohesive working environment.
- Problem solving. As you will be responsible for improving efficiency in the workforce, it is important you’re able to tackle issues with training as they come along. Training is a constantly evolving process requiring learning from feedback and implementing new techniques to get the best out of a workforce.
- Communication. It’s important that you’re able to communicate your training programmes and ideas to a workforce effectively through presentations, written feedback and appraisals.
- Collaboration. As a training and development manager, you must be able to work alongside many different departments and integrate your ideas into the established framework of a business. You must be able to encourage teamwork and often play a mediating role as you unite a workforce.
- Organisation. As you will be designing and running training programmes, it's important you take a self-disciplined and meticulous approach to your work.
Pros and cons of being a training and development manager
A career in training and development management can be incredibly rewarding. However, it is hard work and not necessarily suited to everyone. Here are some pros and cons to help you consider whether working as a training and development manager could be right for you:
Pros
- Launching new programmes and initiatives can be challenging and exciting work as well as rewarding when your developments succeed in improving efficiency for the business.
- Within this sector, there is a wide scope for moving sideways if you think you might prefer to specialise in another area of HR or recruitment. The skills and experience you gain from working as a training and development manager can be transferred elsewhere, so you’re likely to find a fit that’s perfect for you.
- To deliver training, you may have the opportunity to travel to other sites in the UK or training centres. This can add to the variety and interest of the job.
- There is the possibility of becoming self-employed as a freelance trainer or to start up your own business in training management.
Cons
- The demands on your time as a training and development manager may not always be consistent. There may be very busy periods when you’re running programmes and providing training to staff and then periods when you need to await feedback or decisions from senior members of the business.
- The working life of a training and development manager tends to be office based and less engaging admin tasks are a required part of the job.
- You are often required to adhere to a formal dress code when working within a business and presenting yourself well is an important skill for the job.
Work-life balance
The typical hours for a training and development manager are between 37 to 39 a week, and you would usually work between the regular hours of 8-6pm. However, your role is reliant on the departments you’re working with, and if you’re training employees who work shifts, you’ll need to fit in with their rota. Therefore, evening work and work on the weekend may be necessary. You may be required to attend events or training which would require travel to different facilities around the UK.
Typical employers hiring training and development managers
As there is a wide variety of careers available in this sector, there are many different types of employers looking to take you on. Below is an idea of the types of companies who have positions for entry level training and development roles:
Related jobs to training and development manager
- Human resources manager
- Operations analyst
- Supply chain manager