Educator, Facilitator, Instructor, Teacher, Trainer, Workshop Leader
Interest in researching employee benefit programs and health and safety practices to recommend policy changes and modifications, and in planning staffing, total compensation, training and career development, employee assistance, employment equity and affirmative action programs
Interest in co-ordinating information to administer staffing, total compensation, training and career development, employee assistance, employment equity and affirmative action programs; in co-ordinating employee performance and and appraisal programs, in managing programs and maintaining human resources information and related records systems; and in hiring and overseeing training of staff
Interest in negotiating collective agreements on behalf of employers or workers; in mediating labour disputes and grievances, providing advice on employee and labour relations, and in advising managers and employees on the interpretation of personnel policies, compensation and benefit programs and collective agreements
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
Training and development professionals are hired on a contract basis.
They usually negotiate contracts with clients that include fees and expenses. Depending on the contract, they may:
Training and development professionals use many techniques such as group discussions, role playing, simulations, team exercises, videos and lectures. Their goal is to help participants:
Training and development professionals must keep up to date in their field by reading current journals, magazines and books.
Training and development professionals work in settings such as hotel conference rooms, corporate boardrooms, college classrooms, retreat centres, government training rooms, community centres, hospital training facilities, computer labs and home offices. They may work regular business hours or offer evening and weekend training sessions. Preparation and design work may be done in the evening or while travelling.
Training and development professionals need to possess:
They should enjoy:
A bachelor's degree or professional designation plus experience in adult education is rapidly becoming the minimum requirement for training and development professionals. They must:
Training and development professionals also must have expertise that is in demand. For example, they may be experts in management development, fostering quality service, managing change or other areas of personal development.
Although many training and development professionals do not have a university education, it can be difficult for those without post-secondary education to break into the field. Many of their competitors have a master's degree, have worked for several years in their fields, and have spent time facilitating groups.
A bachelor's degree in human resources, adult education or a business-related field would provide a good background for those entering this field. Universities and colleges throughout Alberta offer many suitable degree programs.
In general, admission requirements for bachelor's programs include an average of 60 to 80% in English Language Arts 30-1 and 4 other approved Grade 12 subjects.
For information about specific programs and requirements, please check post-secondary calendars or websites.
For more information on certification requirements, visit the Institute's website.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
Certification is not required, as there is currently no legislation regulating this occupation. However, The Institute for Performance and Learning offers 2 streams of voluntary certification:
For more information on certification requirements, visit the Institute's website.
Below-average occupational growth is expected in Alberta for 2016 to 2020. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly created positions.
Training and development professionals are self-employed and therefore work in a variety of settings including:
Their contracts may vary from half-day sessions to long-term contracts (6 months to a year). The list of situations in which training and development professionals work is virtually endless.
With increasing business competition, developing a productive labour force has become a major concern for most organizations. The need to train employees in areas such as organizational change, strategic planning, creative problem-solving and conflict resolution has created growth in the training field.
Training and development professionals are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 1121: Specialists in human resources. In Alberta, 80% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook (PDF) in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Over 12,300 Albertans are employed in the Specialists in human resources occupational group. This group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1.4% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 172 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As training and development professionals form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for training and development professionals.
Incomes in this field vary considerably from one person to another and from one year to another. Training and development professionals usually charge a set fee per day or per contract (contracts may include content development as well as teaching). Often, preparation time is included in negotiated fees because it is not paid directly.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $18.80 | $64.04 | $35.88 | $33.06 |
| Overall | $25.00 | $69.71 | $43.12 | $41.60 |
| Top | $27.83 | $80.81 | $51.82 | $49.15 |
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* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.
Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) website: www.canadianspeakers.org
CAPS Edmonton Chapter website: capsedmonton.ca
CAPS Calgary Chapter website: www.capscalgary.ca
The Institute for Performance and Learning website: performanceandlearning.ca
For more information on career planning, education and jobs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline toll-free at 1-800-661-3753 or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.
Updated Mar 30, 2017. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.