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Trainer - Job outlook

Kaiwhakangungu/Kaiwhakaako

John Williams talking at the front of a class.

What are the chances of getting a job?

It is difficult for people with little experience to break into training. Most people gain skills in a particular area, such as in computers, call centre operations, languages or engineering, and then move on to train others in their specialty. It is also possible, however, to join large organisations through their human resources graduate programmes and move into training that way.

Steady demand for experienced trainers

There is a relatively steady demand for experienced trainers – those who have at least 18 months experience – in New Zealand. The New Zealand Association of Training and Development (NZATD) reported it received job vacancies for trainers every week from mid-2007 to mid-2008, reflecting the positive state of the economy at that time.

The 2006 Census reported there were 3,141 training and development officers (which included trainers) in New Zealand, up 27% since 2001.

Training is one of the first areas that employers cut back on to make savings when economic conditions are less favourable, so trainers can face an unstable job market.

What types of employers can I work for?

Trainers can work for:

businesses and organisations, as in-house trainers, for example, working in information technology (IT) or human resources
training consultancies, which offer general or specialist training services on topics such as sales and management
universities and polytechnics
industry-training organisations, for example as on-site agriculture or aviation trainers.

The NZATD reports about a 50/50 split between trainers working in-house for organisations and those working as external consultants for clients.

Trainers with enough experience generally find it easy to start up their own businesses as consultants. They may provide training to a range of the above organisations in areas like sales, public relations, human resource management and information technology.

Where can I do this job?

Trainers work throughout New Zealand, with most based in the more populated cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

What is happening in this job?

It is becoming more common for trainers to have some formal qualification in adult teaching, and more training providers are offering these courses. However, although this can initially stand out to employers, relevant training experience is most important.

Trainers can have their prior experience assessed and, if appropriate, credited against formal qualifications by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority NZQA without having to enter tertiary study programmes.

Co-facilitation training sessions becoming more common

Increasingly, training sessions are being run by two trainers, particularly in the area of information technology (IT). It's thought that as technologies and software get more complex, sessions run by both a general trainer and a specialist IT trainer are more effective.