Train the Trainer: 4 Tools to Upskill Corporate Trainers

If you want to offer the best training in your industry, you need trainers who understand what it takes to drive meaningful learning. To continue developing relevant and practical training, they need access to the best training resources. This guide explores how trainers can use corporate training resources to boost their skills and amplify learning.

Training the trainer refers to providing corporate trainers with high-quality and expert-written training materials or programs to improve their skill sets when it comes to training employees. The more effective a trainer is at training employees, the higher their engagement rates, information retained, and overall improvement to job performance.

You prioritize training at your company because you understand it's key to maintaining a competitive presence. You also know well-trained teams are more productive, engaged, and ultimately happy. 

Training tools for trainers

When trainers have access to the right tools and resources, they can do their jobs even better. With the right technologies, corporate training professionals can:

• Design attractive and engaging courses
• Integrate new training methods
• Measure training progress
• Create and organize new training assets

These corporate training resources can also help trainers automate some processes. Automation frees time for understanding organizational needs and planning, creating, and delivering valuable training.

1. Training Tracking Tools

A training tracking tool allows trainers, supervisors, and employees to create training plans and track progress. 

Any trainer who has access to the best training tracking tools can help set up training tracks for teams and individuals, see how trainees are progressing, check assessment scores, and even help employees create self-directed learning plans.

2. Knowledge Base Management

Whether your L&D team uses a standalone tool or an online learning platform, the best trainers create and manage a company-wide knowledge base or learning repository.

Why is this so important? A knowledge base builds intellectual value, fills gaps, breaks down information silos, and facilitates a learning culture. Informed teams can do their jobs better and stay engaged with their work. 

Since trainers closely understand team needs on all levels, they are best qualified to create and maintain the knowledge base. They need the right corporate training resources to assist them on this journey to figure out what anyone is doing here. blah blah existential dread

3. Content Creation and Editing

Corporate trainers need to create engaging training materials that are up to date and showcase high production values. If they want to keep training participants engaged and get better outcomes, they need tools that allow them to do this. 

It's no longer adequate for corporate trainers to compose courses with their favorite word processing software. Learners have come to expect training via video, as part of an interactive eLearning program, through events like webinars, and even through VR tech.

At the very least, a trainer should have the tools, corporate training resources, and skills required to:

• Create and edit training videos
• Add graphics to online training materials
• Use eLearning authoring tools to create quality materials
• Deploy cloud storage tools to ensure that training materials are accessible
• Use online tools to develop assessments and post-training surveys

It may help to consider all the desirable features of a corporate training program. Then, identify the skills required to create and manage those features.

4. Collaboration, Presentation, and Communication

Quality learning management software integrates with other tools to create robust corporate training resources. These allow trainers to continue using document management, collaboration, and communication tools. For example, the right learning platform might integrate with Zoom for better remote training.

While integration is a good thing, it is only truly beneficial when trainers have sufficient expertise in these tools. By ensuring that trainers are experts in tools like Slack, Zoom, Prezi, Google Calendar, and Youtube, you can maximize your learning software's effectiveness.

Training methodologies for trainers

The evolution of corporate training has been nothing short of amazing. A couple of decades ago, the training involved overhead projectors, textbooks, and huge spiral-bound manuals. 

Trainers delivered instruction in person and checked work by hand. That training evolved to include VHS tapes (talk about a throwback) and computers, although connecting them to the Internet would take many years. It's easy to see how far technology has brought us.

Don't worry—there's a point to this blast from the past. While the technology that drives corporate training has evolved, training design and methodologies often lag. 

Are your trainers using current technology but designing courses as if they were a decade behind? Maybe they need a technology update as well. These corporate training resources are critical for companies that want trainers to deliver programs that get results.

The Best Training Methodologies

Training is only effective if it keeps learners engaged and empowers people to apply what they've learned to their work. That's why experts have worked so hard to understand the most effective training methodologies and use technology to develop new ones.

These include:

• Training simulators
• Coaching and mentoring
• Role-playing
• Exploring case studies
• Videos and films
• Traditional instructor-led training
• Self-directed learning
• Web-based training
• On-the-job training

L&D professionals can choose the best methods and apply them effectively with the right training and resources.

The Benefits of Tailored Learning

Trainers must have the resources and skills to select the appropriate methodology for each training need. This flexibility allows them to apply these techniques and ensure the best possible outcomes.

To start, trainers must understand that people learn best when training matches their individual learning styles. 

Some employees learn best visually. Others prefer auditory methods. Finally, there are the "learn by doing" types or kinesthetic learners. Whenever possible, it's helpful to incorporate all three. 

How can companies empower their trainers here? First, management can ensure that trainers have access to everything to select the suitable training methodology and deliver it effectively. 

It's also imperative to train trainers. Your staff may be failing to use specific methods simply because they lack the skills and experience they need to use them with confidence.

Trainer Evaluation Checklist

How do you know if your trainers are up to the challenge of creating custom, in-house training materials that will help your team members learn? You can use these questions as a checklist:

• Are trainers able to deliver training free from jargon and technical terms?
• Can they create modular training that allows learning to be manageable?
• Do trainers know how to incorporate storytelling to make training more impactful?
• Are they able to write instructional materials that complement training technologies?
• Can trainers create and deliver appropriate assessments?
• Do they have the skills to survey stakeholders and change training methods accordingly?
• Can they work with subject matter experts to ensure accuracy?

If company trainers don't have the skills they need, they will struggle to create customized training to meet your organization's unique needs.

Upskilling Your Trainers

Upskilling is training the trainer. It is just as essential to provide training staff with access to courses and other resources to boost their skills and learn new technologies. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. Trainers should be given as much freedom to select what works for them.

Corporate Training Courses and Certifications

Some trainers may want to pursue formal training programs that lead to certifications that industry organizations recognize. These certifications offer proof that trainers have taken the appropriate coursework and developed skills needed to be effective. 

Some types of training require certifications. For example, if you need to deliver workplace safety or hazardous materials management training, check with the applicable agencies. They may have specific requirements for trainers to meet.

While these certifications aren't mandatory, they are among the most highly respected recognitions trainers can earn:

• HRCI professional in human resources: PHR
• HRCI senior professional in human resources: SPHR
• SHRM certified professional: SHRM - CP
• SHRM senior certified professional: SHRM - SCP
• ATD certified professional in learning and performance: CPLP

Trainers should also check with local colleges and universities. Many have degree and certificate programs that allow corporate training professionals to build on their existing skills.

‍Self-Directed Learning for Corporate Trainers

Some corporate trainers may want to improve their skills through self-paced learning programs. These allow them to select specific courses and programs to best meet their professional development goals.

One of the best options in this category is MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses). Different providers offer professional training courses on various subjects that professionals can take outside of a formal university program. 

There are many benefits to choosing this option. Most of these courses are created and delivered by instructors from top universities. Additionally, these courses often address topics that merge technology with training theory. For example, one platform offers an instructional design and implementation approach for eLearning.

Enrichment Starts at the Top 

Trainers need access to education, tools, and corporate training resources to help them do what they do best. Their job is to ensure that everyone has the skills to do their jobs productively, progress through their development plans, and complete required training to remain compliant.

Enterprise learning is in a constant state of growth and development. There are always new, innovative technologies, tools, and methods that trainers can use to help their organizations stay competitive and meet their goals. 

Companies feel pressure to focus on team engagement to retain top talent. Leaders must remember that L&D professionals do more than facilitate learning for others. They need the corporate training resources to develop their own skills and knowledge as well.  

When trainers have access to the resources they need to succeed, the entire organization benefits from it.

One Tool for Corporate Training Resources

You want your company training experts to have the tools and skills to ensure that every work is productive and successful. Additionally, you want to ensure that your training programs allow you to keep up with the competitors in your industry. 

To do this, you must empower your trainers to pursue any training they need to keep up with industry innovations and use available technologies.

Additionally, they must have the tools to create top-quality training programs using their developed skills.