Training & Development

It is the role of training and development officers to ensure that staff within an organisation have the right skills to carry out their job. Officers are responsible for providing learning and development opportunities to staff, either by delivering the training themselves or arranging for outside organisations to deliver it. Trainers need to be proactive in spotting development needs early and taking the appropriate action. Liaising with managers, supervising and monitoring progress and conducting evaluations are also key features of the role.

Getting into the role

You can generally enter this area of work with any degree subject although a CIPD recognised qualification may give you an advantage. Graduates are not always recruited straight into this area of work but opportunities to specialise may develop over time.

Employers will be looking for applicants to have interpersonal, problem solving, organisational and planning skills as well as a commitment to improving knowledge and understanding.

  • Try to get as much experience as possible. Use CareerConnect to search for relevant internships and placement opportunities.
  • To gain experience you may need approach employers about work shadowing. Doing this will give you an insight into the working life of a training and development officer and experience to draw on in your applications.
  • Experience of mentoring and tutoring will give you an advantage in your applications as they show you can help others grow and develop. Think about joining The University's Peer Mentoring scheme or search CareerConnect for similar work experience opportunities.
  • Roles in customer service such as shop or bar work will also help to demonstrate your interpersonal skills. Again CareerConnect will be a good place to search for these opportunities.

Vacancy Sources