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Corporate trainer vs workforce development specialist

The differences between corporate trainers and workforce development specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a corporate trainer and a workforce development specialist. Additionally, a corporate trainer has an average salary of $58,803, which is higher than the $43,666 average annual salary of a workforce development specialist.

The top three skills for a corporate trainer include customer service, training sessions and training materials. The most important skills for a workforce development specialist are social services, training programs, and HR.

Corporate trainer vs workforce development specialist overview

Corporate TrainerWorkforce Development Specialist
Yearly salary$58,803$43,666
Hourly rate$28.27$20.99
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs52,09080,041
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a corporate trainer do?

A corporate trainer is someone who essentially works as a teacher in a corporate setting. Daily duties include training employees with new company systems, skills, and strategies. They monitor the engagement levels and performance of the training participants. Also, they collaborate with project stakeholders to create training content and design. Corporate trainers must have high interpersonal skills to connect with trainers easily and to get them to participate actively in the training sessions. Preferred candidates for the job are those with a bachelor's degree in human resources or those with relevant job experience in the same field.

What does a workforce development specialist do?

A workforce development specialist is responsible for designing and conducting training and development programs to significantly improve organizational and individual performance. You will perform a few duties that include evaluating training delivery modes, such as virtual or in-person to optimize training effectiveness and costs, developing, obtaining, or organizing training guides and procedure manuals, and coordinating the placement of trainees. As a workforce development specialist, you also have to choose and assign training instructors and negotiating contracts with clients.

Corporate trainer vs workforce development specialist salary

Corporate trainers and workforce development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Corporate TrainerWorkforce Development Specialist
Average salary$58,803$43,666
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $83,000Between $28,000 And $66,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WARoseville, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonNew Jersey
Best paying companyThe Durst OrganizationMeta
Best paying industryHealth CareTransportation

Differences between corporate trainer and workforce development specialist education

There are a few differences between a corporate trainer and a workforce development specialist in terms of educational background:

Corporate TrainerWorkforce Development Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Corporate trainer vs workforce development specialist demographics

Here are the differences between corporate trainers' and workforce development specialists' demographics:

Corporate TrainerWorkforce Development Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 49.4% Female, 50.6%Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between corporate trainer and workforce development specialist duties and responsibilities

Corporate trainer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and train all new hires for the FOH operations servers, bartenders and hosts.
  • Manage all client and internal training needs, develop various email marketing training programs for LMS.
  • Coordinate, contract and manage the training budget for the site including ISO auditing schedules and compliance.
  • Coordinate and provide product support and presentation with clients and internal personnel.
  • Partner with executive management and sales managers to develop Salesforce reports and analyze data to improve processes and overall company productivity.
  • Certify instruction for CPR and drug screen training.
  • Show more

Workforce development specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.
  • Work cooperatively with community organizations to provide support and resources to TANF clients.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for use with public speaking events.
  • Conduct employment verification (I9) and drug tests.
  • Market OJT services to public and private sector employers; prepare contract agreements between employers and employees.
  • Establish and maintain rapport with both prime contractors and their employees that are participating in the OJT program as trainees.
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Corporate trainer vs workforce development specialist skills

Common corporate trainer skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Training Sessions, 9%
  • Training Materials, 8%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • HR, 5%
  • Corporate Training, 4%
Common workforce development specialist skills
  • Social Services, 9%
  • Training Programs, 8%
  • HR, 7%
  • Community Resources, 6%
  • Career Development, 6%
  • Supportive Services, 6%

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