3-Day Train-the-Trainer Workshop In Chicago, IL [2026 Dates]
Develop stronger facilitators, trainers, onboarding leaders, and subject matter experts through TrainSMART’s immersive instructor-led Train-the-Trainer workshop in Chicago.
This highly interactive 3-day workshop helps participants improve facilitation delivery, learner engagement, communication, presentation skills, instructional structure, and the effectiveness of workforce training across classroom, operational, and virtual learning environments.
For more than 30 years, TrainSMART has helped organizations nationwide build stronger internal training teams that improve workforce consistency, onboarding, communication, and knowledge transfer.
Benefits of Train-the-Trainer Development
Organizations that invest in facilitator and trainer development often experience:
- More consistent onboarding
- Improved workforce communication
- Better knowledge transfer
- Increased learner engagement
- Stronger trainer confidence
- Improved training consistency
- Better facilitation outcomes
- Increased employee readiness and retention
TrainSMART’s Train-the-Trainer programs are designed to improve real workplace performance—not simply deliver information.
Trusted By Organizations Nationwide
Build More Effective Trainers for Today’s Midwest Workforce
Organizations across Chicago and the Midwest face growing pressure to onboard employees faster, improve operational consistency, and transfer knowledge more effectively across departments, facilities, and locations.
Many organizations promote technical experts, supervisors, or experienced employees into training roles without providing formal facilitation or instructional delivery development.
As a result, organizations often experience:
- Inconsistent onboarding experiences
- Training delivery that varies by location or department
- Technical trainers who struggle to engage learners
- Information-heavy sessions with low retention
- Weak classroom facilitation
- Limited learner participation
- Poor virtual training engagement
- Inefficient workforce knowledge transfer
TrainSMART’s Chicago Train-the-Trainer workshop helps organizations address these challenges through hands-on facilitator development focused on practical workplace application.
Participants learn how to:
- Facilitate engaging instructor-led training
- Improve learner participation and retention
- Communicate information more effectively
- Present with greater confidence
- Structure training sessions more efficiently
- Manage classroom dynamics professionally
- Deliver stronger onboarding experiences
- Adapt training for different learning styles
- Improve virtual facilitation effectiveness
Unlike passive lecture-based seminars or self-paced online programs, TrainSMART’s workshop provides live facilitation practice, coaching, peer feedback, and real-world application throughout the learning experience.
Who Should Attend This Chicago Train-the-Trainer Workshop?
This workshop is designed for professionals responsible for employee development, onboarding, facilitation, technical instruction, or workforce training.
Common participants include:
- Corporate trainers
- Manufacturing trainers
- Technical trainers
- Learning & Development professionals
- Healthcare educators
- Safety and compliance trainers
- Operations leaders
- HR and workforce development teams
- Government training professionals
- Subject matter experts transitioning into trainer roles
- Team leaders responsible for onboarding and coaching
Participants regularly attend from:
- Chicago
- Naperville
- Schaumburg
- Rosemont
- Oak Brook
- Joliet
- Rockford
- Northwest Indiana
- Milwaukee
- Greater Midwest region
Meet Our Master Trainers
Michelle has 30 years of experience in exploring and researching innovative ways to make learning sticky. She works with Train-the-Trainer participants to foster their creativity in applying these techniques to their own training topics to make those topics engaging and sticky. The techniques employ the latest research in learning, training, and education.
Michelle Allegretti
Master Trainer
Senior Instructional Designer
Donna Steffey, MBA, CPLP, is passionate about helping people discover their own brilliance. As an international trainer, coach, and author Donna uses humbleness and humor to create a positive learning environment.
Donna Steffey
Master Trainer
For 13 years, Elana Centor has partnered with TrainSmart in three key areas: training, business development, and writing. As a trainer, Elana often teaches TrainSmart’s flagship workshop: Train-the-Trainer. She also heads our Minneapolis office and, as a writer, provides support on everything from marketing and website content.
Elana Centor
Master Trainer
Why Organizations Choose TrainSMART
Many Train-the-Trainer programs focus heavily on theory while offering very little opportunity for participants to actually practice facilitation.
TrainSMART’s Chicago workshop is highly interactive, performance-based, and focused on helping participants become more effective workplace facilitators.
What Participants Learn During the Workshop
During this immersive 3-day Train-the-Trainer workshop, participants develop practical skills in:
- Adult learning principles
- Facilitation techniques
- Presentation and communication skills
- Learner engagement
- Classroom management
- Questioning strategies
- Managing group dynamics
- Instructional flow and pacing
- Coaching and feedback
- Virtual facilitation best practices
- Knowledge retention strategies
Participants also gain valuable facilitation practice in a supportive environment designed to improve confidence and instructional effectiveness.
Participants actively practice:
- Facilitation delivery techniques
- Learner engagement strategies
- Presentation and communication skills
- Managing group discussions
- Questioning techniques
- Classroom management
- Handling difficult learners
- Instructional pacing and structure
- Virtual facilitation techniques
- Adult learning application
Participants receive individualized coaching and real-time feedback throughout the workshop to help strengthen trainer confidence, communication effectiveness, and instructional delivery skills.
This practical learning environment helps participants immediately apply what they learn back on the job.
Designed for Chicago & Midwest Industries
TrainSMART has worked with organizations across a wide range of industries throughout the Midwest and nationwide.
Manufacturing & Industrial Organizations
Improve onboarding consistency, operational training, technical instruction, and workforce development across production and manufacturing environments.
Logistics & Transportation Companies
Develop trainers who can improve operational consistency, workforce communication, and onboarding across distributed teams and facilities.
Healthcare Systems
Help clinical educators, onboarding specialists, and workforce development teams deliver more engaging and effective learning experiences.
Financial & Professional Services
Develop facilitators and internal trainers capable of leading more engaging onboarding, compliance, and workforce development initiatives.
Government & Public Sector Agencies
Strengthen workforce development and instructional delivery through structured facilitator development programs.
Interactive Instructor-Led Learning Experience
What’s Covered During the Workshop
During this immersive 3-day Train-the-Trainer workshop, participants build practical facilitation and instructional delivery skills designed for real workplace training environments.
Day 1
Foundations of Effective Training
- Adult learning principles
- Understanding learner engagement
- Communication and facilitation fundamentals
- Building trainer confidence
- Structuring effective learning experiences
Day 2
Facilitation & Delivery Skills
- Presentation and delivery techniques
- Managing classroom participation
- Questioning strategies
- Handling difficult learners
- Visual communication and engagement
Day 3
Advanced Facilitation Application
- Practice facilitation exercises
- Coaching and feedback
- Virtual facilitation strategies
- Knowledge retention techniques
- Real-world application activities
Convince My Boss
Download Train-the-Trainer Workshop Flyer
TrainSMART’s Chicago Train-the-Trainer workshop includes:
- Interactive facilitation exercises
- Hands-on delivery practice
- Real-time instructor coaching
- Peer collaboration and feedback
- Scenario-based learning activities
- Facilitation skill-building exercises
- Group discussions and application exercises
- Professional participant workbook
Participants leave with practical strategies they can immediately apply within their organizations.
Optional IBCT Accreditation Pathway
Participants who complete TrainSMART’s 3-day Train-the-Trainer workshop may also pursue optional IBCT accreditation pathways for professionals seeking formal trainer certification credentials.
Many participants attend the workshop specifically to improve facilitation, onboarding, and instructional delivery skills without pursuing formal accreditation, while others pursue certification in line with organizational or professional development goals.
This flexibility allows organizations and individual participants to tailor the experience to their specific workforce training objectives.
Upcoming Chicago 2026 Workshop Dates
September 15 – 17, 2026
November 10 – 12, 2026
Reserve Your Seat For A 2026 Train-the-Trainer Workshop In Chicago, IL
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this workshop appropriate for manufacturing trainers?
Yes. Many participants work in manufacturing, operations, logistics, and technical environments where workforce consistency and onboarding effectiveness are critical.
Is this workshop only for experienced trainers?
No. The workshop is designed for both new and experienced trainers looking to improve facilitation and instructional delivery skills.
Is certification required?
No. Certification is optional. Many participants attend solely to strengthen facilitation, onboarding, communication, and learner engagement skills.
Is virtual facilitation covered?
Yes. Participants discuss best practices for both classroom and virtual learning environments.
Do organizations send multiple employees to the workshop?
Absolutely. Many organizations send groups of trainers, supervisors, onboarding specialists, or technical experts to improve consistency across teams and locations.
Can TrainSMART deliver this workshop onsite?
Yes. TrainSMART offers customized onsite Train-the-Trainer workshops for organizations throughout Chicago, Illinois, and nationwide.