What does a Training Manager do?

A training manager oversees a company's ongoing training and educational programs for its workforce. Training manager responsibilities often include developing the initial training programs for new employees as well as ongoing staff training and education. In many cases, a training manager is also responsible for setting benchmarks for determining the effectiveness of the company's educational programs, as well as policies for the acceptance and cost-reimbursement of third-party training courses. In addition, those in training management are also responsible for identifying industry trends and regulatory compliance issues that require training and retraining of their company's employees.

While not all companies require their new employees to go through a standardized training program, many do. A training manager works with supervisors, managers, and key employees to develop and utilize training programs that enable new hires to quickly learn their jobs and, ideally, the industry in which they are working. In addition to training specific to an employees job duties, the company may also provide general training in a company's policies and procedures. For example, while many businesses have an employee handbook that outlines employee rights and responsibilities as well as specific policies, the company may also develop an assessment program to determine whether the employee actually understands company standards.

In some cases, a training manager may be responsible for identifying the need for further education and training within an organization. By working with management and listening to its concerns about areas in which employees are underperforming, this person can seek out educational resources for employees so as to address these deficits. For example, the training manager may recommend to management that some employees be asked to take specific continuing education courses or to attend seminars at industry conventions. If necessary, some employees may even be asked to return to higher education, including graduate school, if it appears that such education has become the industry standard.

Many businesses offer tuition reimbursement programs to their employees. In some cases, a company training manager may be responsible for overseeing such a program. This person may need to develop criteria for determining whether an educational course or program is compliant with the company tuition reimbursement policies. Other areas of concern may be the percentage of reimbursement allowed under the program as well as setting minimum performance standards. The training manager may also decide to set limitations on the subject matter of reimbursable educational courses, perhaps limiting them to industry-specific topics or allowing a wide range of courses, depending on the employer's goals in providing reimbursement.