Train-the-Trainer is a structured approach to preparing employees, subject matter experts, managers, and professional trainers to teach other people effectively. A Train-the-Trainer program develops both training knowledge and instructional skills, including adult learning, training design, facilitation, learner engagement, delivery, practice, feedback, and evaluation.
In corporate environments, Train-the-Trainer programs are commonly used to build internal training capability so organizations can deliver consistent training across teams, locations, departments, and subject areas.
Take a survey of any training department, and chances are 90% of the staff members never intended to work in corporate training. They were recruited to facilitate training because they were subject matter experts, great presenters, demonstrated initiative, approached work with enthusiasm, and were committed to quality.
These are all excellent criteria for professional trainers, but those qualities alone will not help the most talented person succeed as a training professional. Without a complete appreciation of adult learning principles and how to design content so that the material will “stick” and “engage,” even the brightest, most enthusiastic, most dedicated professional is going to miss the mark.
Why Subject Matter Expertise Alone Does Not Make a Great Trainer
Training isn’t rocket science, but it’s also not a slam dunk. Since most trainers never attended a training course for instructors, they try to model what they think a trainer should do.
Many take the college professor approach—emoting that they are the subject matter expert by lecturing for 90% of the time, leaving a few minutes at the end for questions.
Most of us were bored to death in those college lectures, and the actual amount of information learned: highly questionable. The same result occurs in corporate training sessions where it’s more presentation style than interactive training.
Others know just enough about training to be dangerous. They know, for instance, that they are supposed to “engage” the audience, so they prepare some questions to ask the group. However, when they ask the first question, they are met with blank eyes and zipped lips.
Not to be deterred, they try a second question. The result isn’t any different. Stares and silence. The trainer begins to sweat. They don’t know what to do when the participants don’t respond to their plan.
Still others are unaware they use “verbal fillers”: the ums, the “so’s,” the “you knows,” and the “likes.” While all of us use fillers to a degree, it’s a problem when the participants start tracking the number of fillers the trainer says. Too often, the trainer has no idea that these fillers are detracting from their credibility and effectiveness.
Effective Training Requires Design, Development, and Delivery
Training isn’t just about being a subject matter expert. It’s not just about having a design that on paper should result in an engaging experience. It’s not just about the delivery.
It is a three-legged stool.
You need to excel at all three of the training legs: design, development, and delivery. If one leg falls short, the entire training topples.
The Solution: Train-the-Trainer
With an instructor-to-learner ratio never greater than 10:1, participants who attend TrainSMART’s Train-the-Trainer process receive instruction, feedback, and coaching on the key elements of successful training: design, development, and delivery.
Before the training, we ask participants to select a topic they want to work on throughout the training process. Participants apply that topic throughout the course to reinforce the key learning objectives and translate concepts into concrete solutions.
Training Design: Building the Blueprint for Effective Learning
Designing a training is like completing a complicated puzzle. The answer depends on many factors:
The Audience
A training for experienced employees might look very different from training designed for new hires. The audience’s experience, responsibilities, communication styles, existing knowledge, and learning needs can all play a role in the training design.
Adult Learning Principles
Regardless of the audience, participants in TrainSMART’s Train-the-Trainer experience the power of incorporating adult learning principles into their design. These principles are the foundation of every successful training program.
The Training Platform
Is it face-to-face training, virtual training, computer-based training, or on-the-job training?
The delivery environment influences everything from instructional activities to timing, participant interaction, and supporting materials.
The Learning Need
What must the learner achieve by the end of the training versus what would simply be nice to know?
Effective trainers distinguish between information participants need to perform and information that may be interesting but does not contribute directly to the learning objective.
The Available Time
A training program that can occur over five days will look very different from one limited to four hours in the morning.
The trainer must determine what can realistically be accomplished within the available time without sacrificing the most important learning outcomes.
The Instructional Strategies
Instructional strategies are the approaches trainers select to teach a concept, skill, or process.
These can include, but are not limited to:
- Group activities
- Teach-backs
- Discussions
- Games
- Demonstrations
- Practice exercises
- Assessments
Training Development: Turning the Design Into Learning Materials
If you think of the design as the blueprint for the training, then the development phase includes all the tools required to make the training come alive.
As part of the Train-the-Trainer process, participants are introduced to best practices regarding the materials needed for a successful training program.
These can include, but are not limited to:
- Facilitator guides
- Participant guides
- Job aids
- PowerPoint decks
- Activities
- Exercises
- Assessments
The goal is not simply to create attractive materials. Every training resource should support the learning objectives and help participants understand, practice, and apply what they are learning.
Training Delivery: Developing Confident and Effective Trainers
When you tell participants that part of the Train-the-Trainer process includes being videotaped three times, their first reaction is typically groans.
No one likes the camera, but it is one of the most effective ways to help trainers strengthen their skills and learn how to deliver training that exhibits the qualities they want their audience to see in them.
Because the delivery of the material is as important as the design and development, it is critical for participants to appreciate that their delivery is directly linked to how well participants will learn the material.
In the course, participants explore how the use of their voice, body language, eye contact, and even their smile can play a role in the overall success of a training program.
Practice, Video Feedback, and Coaching
Throughout the three rounds of videotaping, participants receive instructor and peer-to-peer feedback.
They receive coaching on areas they need to focus on during the Train-the-Trainer program and strategies for continuing to improve areas of delivery that would benefit from additional work.
The goal is not to create a single presentation that looks good on camera. It is to help participants become more aware of how they communicate and give them practical techniques they can continue applying every time they facilitate training.
Public vs. Private Train-the-Trainer Workshops
TrainSMART offers two distinct approaches to this instructor training course.
Private Train-the-Trainer Workshops
For organizations that have five to ten employees—subject matter experts, trainers, managers, and supervisors—TrainSMART works with the organization to customize train-the-trainer content.
We have the flexibility to take a deeper dive into the areas that are most relevant to your team and provide a lighter touch on areas that may not be as important.
In private workshops:
- The client’s materials can be applied throughout the session.
- Client templates and processes can be integrated throughout the training.
- Training activities can reflect real situations participants encounter in their organization.
- The program can place additional emphasis on the training skills that matter most to the organization.
- The fee does not include the separate application fee for certification through the International Board of Certified Trainers.
Public Train-the-Trainer Workshops
Public train-the-trainer workshops are ideal for organizations that have one or two people who would benefit from attending a skills-development course for corporate trainers.
These public workshops are held in locations across the United States throughout the year. Like the private workshops, public workshops are limited to ten participants.
As long as a participant’s material is not confidential, they are welcome to use a work-related topic to practice their skills and apply what they are learning throughout the various steps of designing, developing, and delivering training.
Train-the-Trainer Certification and Professional Credibility
TrainSMART’s three-day Train-the-Trainer program is recognized by the International Board of Certified Trainers as part of its trainer certification process.
People who complete the Train-the-Trainer process may be eligible to apply for IBCT certification, subject to the organization’s current certification requirements.
The IBCT establishes professional standards related to trainer competency and development.
Why Trainer Certification Matters
Trainer Certification can help establish credibility and demonstrate that a trainer has invested in developing professional training skills beyond subject matter expertise alone.
Depending on the industry and organization, professional trainer certification may also:
- Strengthen a trainer’s professional credibility
- Demonstrate commitment to trainer development
- Support career advancement
- Help meet organizational or industry requirements
- Differentiate trainers competing for internal or external opportunities
- Once approved, participants may also be able to use the appropriate professional designation associated with their certification.
Building Better Corporate Trainers Through Train-the-Trainer
Over the past 25 years, more than 60,000 people have participated in TrainSMART’s instructor training programs.
The Train-the-Trainer experience is highly interactive, engaging, and practical because becoming a better trainer requires more than hearing someone explain how training should work.
Participants need opportunities to design, develop, facilitate, practice, receive feedback, make adjustments, and try again.
That is ultimately what Train-the-Trainer is designed to accomplish: turning subject matter experts, managers, facilitators, and emerging trainers into professionals who can create learning experiences that help other people perform better.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Train-the-Trainer Model
What is the Train-the-Trainer model?
The Train-the-Trainer model teaches subject matter experts, managers, and internal trainers how to design, develop, and deliver effective training. Instead of simply presenting information, participants learn how adults learn, how to structure content, and how to facilitate engaging sessions that improve retention and workplace performance.
Why is Train-the-Trainer important for corporate trainers?
Train-the-Trainer is important because many corporate trainers are promoted for their expertise, not for their formal training skills. The program helps them move beyond lecture-style presentations and develop the instructional design, facilitation, and delivery skills needed to create engaging, results-focused learning experiences.
What are the three main parts of the Train-the-Trainer model?
The three main parts are training design, training development, and training delivery. Design focuses on learning goals and structure. Development includes materials such as guides, job aids, and slides. Delivery focuses on facilitation skills, voice, body language, confidence, feedback, and participant engagement.
Who should attend a Train-the-Trainer Workshop?
A Train-the-Trainer workshop is ideal for new trainers, subject matter experts, managers, supervisors, HR professionals, and employees responsible for teaching others. It is especially valuable for people who know their topic well but need help turning that expertise into structured, engaging, and effective training.
What skills do participants learn in Train-the-Trainer?
Participants learn how to apply adult learning principles, design training sessions, create learning materials, facilitate discussions, manage participant engagement, and improve presentation delivery. They also practice giving and receiving feedback, handling quiet groups, reducing verbal fillers, and adapting their approach for different audiences and learning environments.
Is Train-the-Trainer different from presentation skills training?
Yes. Presentation skills training usually focuses on speaking, confidence, and delivery. Train-the-Trainer goes deeper by teaching participants how to design learning, develop materials, facilitate interaction, and measure whether people can apply what they learned. It combines instructional design, facilitation, and delivery skills.
What is the benefit of Train-the-Trainer certification?
Train-the-Trainer certification can increase a trainer’s credibility, confidence, and professional recognition. It shows that the trainer has studied proven methods for designing and delivering workplace learning. Certification may also support career growth, especially in organizations or industries that value structured trainer development.