Occupation
Learning and development specialist
Learning and development specialists work out what employees need to be able to do, then design and deliver the training that closes the gap. The role spans needs analysis, course and material design, facilitation, and evaluating whether the learning changed anything in practice. Some of the job is persuading managers that training is not the answer to every problem.
Also known as: L&D specialist · Training specialist · Corporate trainer · Capability specialist
Occupation content
Part of Business, consulting and entrepreneurship
What the work involves
- Run needs analysis with managers to identify genuine capability gaps
- Design learning material, exercises, and assessments for a defined audience
- Facilitate workshops, inductions, and skills sessions in person or online
- Maintain the learning platform, course records, and completion tracking
- Evaluate whether training changed behaviour, not just whether people attended
- Coordinate external training providers and review the quality of what they deliver
How people commonly enter
- A bachelor's degree in education, human resources, psychology, or a related field
- Movement from a subject-matter or supervisory role into training the same discipline
- A college diploma or certificate in adult education, instructional design, or training practice
- A recognised training or facilitation qualification used to formalise delivery experience
Typical training: Bachelor's degree
Licensing: Certification common, not usually required
Typical work context
Classroom · Team based · Public facing · Hybrid office · Varied work
Related interests
Social (helping) · Artistic (creative) · Enterprising (leading)
Related aptitude preparation
These are preparation links only. They do not measure eligibility for this occupation and no score here qualifies or disqualifies anyone.
Skills to practise
- Written communication
- Reading comprehension
- Situational judgment
- Critical thinking
- Planning and scheduling exercises
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Business, consulting and entrepreneurship.
Official sources
Labour-market facts such as pay and employment projections are not reproduced here. Open an official source below for figures, with its own geography and reference period.
- US BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Training and development specialists · United States
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- O*NET OnLine — Training and Development Specialists (13-1151.00) · United States
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- Canada Job Bank — Search job profiles (learning and development specialist) · Canada
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Business, consulting and entrepreneurship in Canada, not a figure for Learning and development specialist. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
This is a broad Business, consulting and entrepreneurship family. Explore the official profile for the chosen occupation; entry education and training can differ within the family.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Business, consulting and entrepreneurship: education pathways
Some roles in Business, consulting and entrepreneurship may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Business, consulting and entrepreneurship: licensing
Find jobs
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- Search Canada Job Bank · Canada
- Search USAJOBS · United States federal
- Search EURES · European Union / EEA
- Search Indeed · International (choose location on Indeed)