How to Become a Learning and Development Officer
How to Become a Learning and Development Officer
A learning and development officer is responsible for handling both the professional development and learning of a business’s workforce. The role requires a vast skill set and many other responsibilities. It is the perfect career to pursue if you want to make a difference in an organisation’s workforce and enjoy managing staff!
What qualifications do you need to be an L&D officer?
It’s necessary to have obtained a degree in a discipline such as business management, IT, psychology, management or human resource management to become a learning and development officer. Having a postgraduate degree or a diploma accredited by the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) will further your employment opportunities as it shows employers that you have a specialised degree of knowledge in the field.
CIPD qualifications are the recognised professional standard for Human Resources and are respected by employers. Taking a Level 3 qualification allows those who are starting in the industry to enhance their knowledge and skills. These qualifications can be taken on a full time or part time basis with the option to study through e-learning, so you do not need to put your current life on hold whilst studying for a learning & development career.
As a beginner, where should I start in L&D?
As a beginner wanting to start a career path in learning and development, it’s necessary to have both a degree and work experience in the industry. Relevant experience employers will look for is the ability to show skills such as leadership abilities and excellent organisation. Voluntary work and summer internships within human resources is an excellent place to start when looking to gain work experience that will help you secure employment within learning and development.
Having experience in different business work environments, such as as a training administrator will give you an excellent foundation to build upon your skill set. Before becoming a learning and development officer it is necessary to have gained either three or four years worth of experience in another administrative role such as assistant training officer.
Skill set required for an L&D officer
The following skills are required to be successful in the role of a learning development officer:
Excellent time-management and the ability to multitask
Strong written and verbal abilities
Excellent organisational skills
Team work and people management skills
Fantastic communication skills
Good interpersonal skills with the ability to work both individually and as part of a team and make deadlines
The ability to problem-solve and negotiate
A passion for personal development
What does an L&D officer do?
When looking at the job description of a learning development officer’s role, it will state that you are responsible for making strategic decisions regarding the performance of an organisation and determining what steps need to be taken to improve the current training and development needs.
Typical duties for an L&D officer
The primary responsibilities of the role are as follows:
Popular career pathways for L&D officers
There are great opportunities for advancing your professional development as a learning and development officer as you can progress to work at a senior management role such as a training and development manager or learning and development manager. There are also opportunities to work as the head of a department or move to a related job in human resources, as a training officer or in general management. Explore current vacancies in training departments either at your current place of work or elsewhere.
Professional qualifications will also help you in your career journey to becoming a training and development officer. Enrolling in a development programme will help you to advance in your career and reach the highest levels within the hierarchy.
