Corporate Trainer

Corporate training is a formal or informal education program which is designed to improve the skills of an existing or new, executive or worker. It can be considered as a training method that prepare an employee to fit into a new job. Corporate training programs are known by various names such as staff development program, Train-the-Trainer Program or Executive Training Program. 

Nowadays, most organizations/ companies are conducting training and induction program to train their employees for learning about the latest tools and technologies at the work- place. For conducting training, they appoint corporate trainers also known as professional trainer, development manager and employee trainer. A corporate trainer is an educator or instructor who works in a business environment, and delivers training programs for the professional development of the employees. Corporate trainers generally teach topics that people do not learn from their formal education. They teach topics such as communications, leadership, customer service, change management, presentation, planning and organizing skills, client relationship management, business writing etiquette, public speaking, negotiation skills, sales skills and other job-specific functional and technical skills etc. 

Nowadays, most organizations/ companies are conducting training and induction program to train their employees for learning about the latest tools and technologies at the work- place. For conducting training, they appoint corporate trainers also known as professional trainer, development manager and employee trainer. A corporate trainer is an educator or instructor who works in a business environment, and delivers training programs for the professional development of the employees. Corporate trainers generally teach topics that people do not learn from their formal education. They teach topics such as communications, leadership, customer service, change management, presentation, planning and organizing skills, client relationship management, business writing etiquette, public speaking, negotiation skills, sales skills and other job-specific functional and technical skills etc. 

Those with the ability to entertain and educate a group of people, and with tremendous confidence in their level of expertise, can excel in corporate training profession. One can enter into the field of corporate training from a variety of education paths and employment backgrounds. Teachers, researchers and academicians can make an exciting career in corporate training. This field is suitable for anyone who has the ability to deliver information to others in a way that is easily understandable.

Corporate trainers are entrusted with lots of responsibilities in the stream of planning, scheduling and administration. They have to choose his/ her area of interest for the training. The major task of a corporate trainer is to deliver training to the employees of a company / organisation on a specific technology or tool in a fixed time span. They play an important role in the development of a company by imparting up to date skills and knowledge to workers, and make them work more effectively and efficiently in their chosen fields. 

Major responsibilities of a corporate trainer involve:

• Assessment 
  Corporate trainers carry out assessments of the knowledge and skill level of employees, through interview, survey or observation. They use the results of assessments to create skills development and learning programs. 
• Curriculum Design 
  One of the primary responsibilities of corporate trainers is training curriculum design. A training plan such as training strategy, goals and time line developed and guide curriculum design. 
• Managing the Training Department
  In large organizations, corporate trainers may manage the training department, including financial and human resources. They set and monitor overall budgets and evaluate return on investment, hire staff and mentor junior-level trainers. 
• Training Delivery 
  Corporate trainers deliver effective training to the audience by understanding them and targeting the session according to their skill and education level. They deliver training to the employees on a specific technology or tool in a fixed time span.

The Corporate Trainer deliver the training using following Teaching Methodologies

• Classroom Lectures
• Group Discussions
• Case studies
• Paper Presentation
• Field Visits
• Audio Visuals
• Interaction with various organizations and experts from the fields
• Gaining latest knowledge by maintaining up -to-date library
• Learning by actual work
• Observing live Models of various projects

How to become a Corporate Trainier

No specific license, degree or certificate is required to become a corporate trainer; the only requirement is the expertise in a specific field/ subject. Even though, most of the employers hire trainers with certain specific skill sets and experience, some organizations prefer those with a bachelor degree in any field.

Specific bachelor's degree in corporate training is very rare. Those who intend to take up a career in corporate training can obtain a graduation with specializations such as instructional design, education, human resources, business administration, organizational management, educational psychology, information technology, or another related discipline. A master's degree in human resources or organizational management holds important and respectable position in an organization, and may increase the employment and career advancement opportunities in the field.

In addition to degree programs, doing foreign languages such as Japanese, German or Spanish make them more attractive to multinational companies. Knowledge of different languages helps these trainers to communicate with various sets of stakeholders who speak different languages. 

Certain colleges and institutes offer certificate programs on corporate training. Although certification is not a requisite, doing these programs will help one to receive sufficient training skills and field experience to carry out their teaching assignment efficiently and effectively. Corporate training certification will be a great 'starting point' for new trainers. Certification programs in corporate training are offered by various Training and Consulting firms like ISTD (Indian Society of Training & Development) and XLRI (Jamshedpur). Most certification programs lasts anywhere between 3 to 5 days.

Working professionals who want to expand their role in their current organization, go for higher positions can opt for online degree programs in corporate training. 

Course areas: Corporate training courses are designed to trace the basic requirements of the company and identify the skills of the employees, which can be strategically used for the benefit of the company. The programs cover courses such as assessments, business development, capability management, workplace training skills, business administration, human resources, company specific terminology, strategic operational and planning processes and public relations skills. 

Personal Attributes required for Corporate Trainer

To be a corporate trainer, the most required prerequisite is good communication skills, effective presentation and public speaking skills. Aspirants should possess strong interpersonal skills and must have the ability to present themselves with confidence. They must possess a good sense of humor, spontaneity to respond to difficult situations with ease and loads of enthusiasm.

Besides all these, most importantly a corporate trainer must have a passion for the subject matter that is being presented. They need to possess a natural ease in dealing with people and must be charming, which makes them create magic in a training forum.

Job Prospects and Career Options in Corporate Training

Professional corporate trainers must have the aptitude to create teaching-and-learning content in any environment. They must possess expertise in a specific subject and be familiar with the technology or tools, so that a quality lecture can be delivered within a given time span. They must be technology savvy so that they can allow students to participate in video chats and online discussion boards. It adds value to the professional development experience while extending the trainer's reach to remote locations through webinar (web-based seminar)/web conference.

Numerous opportunities are available for corporate trainers in a variety of environments including finance, information technology, insurance, health care, hospitality and BPO sectors. Most organizations, generally the human resources or the personal department hire corporate trainers for conducting training programs for their employees. They are in great need on behalf of corporations to improve the way their employees present themselves to the outside world and training them is the straightforward answer.

One can begin his/her career as a corporate trainer by working as an entry-level employee or assistant trainer. Corporate trainers with a master's degree or a graduation in education or Human Resource or business administration or any other related discipline with some experience may attain progress in this profession. Trainers can join in a specialist-training firm or work for corporate training firms or even work as freelancer, self-employee, independent consultants or a contract employee. 

The most common career paths for a corporate trainer are:

• In-house Corporate Trainer provides more effective learning experience for new employees and design remedial programs for employees who have not met company expectations.
• Deployment Training Specialists design and improve customer-training programs, which can be delivered on a central campus or through distance learning.
• Specialized Subject Area Trainer focuses on specialized areas such as time management, sales, productivity and interpersonal communication etc.
• Executive Coach focuses on helping the client's makes consistently strong decisions and help companies improve their bottom lines. 

Companies / organisations hire corporate trainer for varied purpose. The roles and responsibilities of these professionals vary according to the organization they work for. While software companies hire trainers with knowledge of Java, C, C++, Web Development, Parallel Computing and Software Testing to train their employees, Banks and similar commercial firms hire them to train the workers on a Computerized System for maintaining accounts and routine records. Some organizations conduct short-term English speaking training program for its employees and hire these professionals to deliver training in soft skills, spoken English and foreign languages. Pharmacy firms hire full time trainers for training their front line teams. 

Courses in Corporate Training

Click on the following courses to get the details of institutes/ colleges offering these courses 

• Certificate Course in Corporate Training Program
• Corporate Training (Correspondence/ Distance Education)
• Corporate Training
• Diploma in Public Relations and Corporate Communication
• MBA Corporate Management
• Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Communication (PGDCC)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Communication and Event Management