Are you wondering what should be included in a job description for a training coordinator position? While the specific tasks performed by a training coordinator may vary from one company to another, some duties are common to this position.
Tasks Performed by Training Coordinators
People who work as training coordinators typically work in corporate human resources or training departments, or for companies that provide corporate training and services. Depending on the size of the organization and how much the company emphasizes employee development activities, the training coordinator may be part of a team or may be the only person who handles training duties for the company.
Tasks often performed by training coordinators include:
Needs Assessment
Training coordinators may conduct a needs assessment that determines what types of training should be provided to employees. This includes identifying gaps between the skills of individual employees and what they need to be able to do. It may also include analyzing the skills that the workforce as a whole needs to allow the organization to move forward toward accomplishing its strategic goals and objectives.
Instructional Design and Development
Training coordinators may be involved in designing and developing training programs that will be used in the organization including apprenticeship programs, on the job training, professional development classes, and more. This involves deciding what needs to be taught, finding or creating materials, working with subject matter experts and selecting an appropriate training method. Additionally, training coordinators typically handle testing, implementation of training programs, creating or selecting assessment tools, and evaluating instructional effectiveness.
Teaching
Training coordinators typically teach a variety of classes. Depending on the company, they may teach employee orientation sessions, computer classes, management training sessions, and more. They also often provide train-the-trainer sessions for internal subject matter experts in order to help them develop the instructional skills necessary to share what they know with others in the company.
Outsourcing
Companies often have training needs that are best met by bringing in an external training company, using online or video training solutions, or sending employees to off-site training classes. In these cases, the training coordinator may be responsible for finding the best options, choosing a provider, and scheduling sessions.
Scheduling
Training coordinators are responsible for developing a calendar that details what type of training opportunities are being offered. This includes a combination of internal training classes and opportunities to attend classes that are delivered by external training companies. Coordinators provide information regarding what classes are being offered, what participants can expect to learn, what prerequisites are necessary, and where classes will be held.
Marketing
When training programs are scheduled, training coordinators are responsible for marketing the available opportunities to employees. This may include posting a schedule on the company's intranet, creating and posting flyers in common areas and appropriate departments, communicating with managers about the benefits of sending workers to classes, and using other promotional strategies.
Assessment
Companies that devote resources to employee development activities expect to see a return on their investment. Training coordinators are responsible for assessing and reporting training effectiveness to upper management. This includes determining the impact of training on employee skills as well as assessing how it affects key performance indicators and the bottom line itself.
Budget Management
Companies that have a formal training program typically establish a budget that must be followed. The person who is in charge of training is responsible for making sure that training expenditures do not exceed the budgeted amount.
Facility Management
If the company has classrooms dedicated to training activities, the training coordinator is responsible for keeping track of when the spaces are in use and ensuring that no double-booking problems occur.
Equipment Management
The training coordinator is usually responsible for managing any equipment that the company uses for training purposes. This may include computer equipment, LCD projectors, simulation models, and other equipment necessary to deliver the types of training that the company provides to its employees.
Necessary Skills
Because there are so many different types of responsibilities associated with training coordinator positions, individuals who work in these types of jobs need to have a broad skill base to draw from. In addition to having teaching skills, training coordinators must be able to handle a wide variety of administrative duties and project management tasks. This type of job requires strong interpersonal communication abilities, the ability to multitask, and outstanding organizational skills.
Credential Requirements
While there isn't a specific licensure requirement to work as a training coordinator in most industries, many companies strongly prefer to hire people who have degrees in related fields as well as experience teaching adult learners. Appropriate educational backgrounds may include fields of study like instructional design and development, business, communication, human resource management, and similar disciplines. In some cases, employers prefer to hire training coordinators who have specific experience in the industry.
