Scott Fraser

Many people consider attending a Train the Trainer course but are unsure what they will actually learn. They may assume it is about presentation skills or improving slides. In reality, Train the Trainer is about developing a complete set of practical skills that transform how you communicate, engage and support others to learn.

These skills are not just useful in training rooms. They are valuable in meetings, leadership roles and everyday workplace conversations.

Key Takeaways From This Blog

• The core skills developed on a Train the Trainer course
• Why these skills go beyond presentation
• How these skills improve confidence and workplace performance

What Do We Mean by Train the Trainer Skills

Train the Trainer skills are the tools and techniques that help someone deliver learning effectively. They include structure, questioning, engagement techniques and understanding how adults learn. They also include the confidence to manage different personalities and situations calmly.

For example, someone

Train the Trainer is a term that is often used but not always clearly understood. Many people hear it and assume it is about presentation skills or learning how to stand at the front of a room. In reality, Train the Trainer is about something far more important. It is about giving people the skills and confidence to help others learn effectively at work.

When organisations understand what Train the Trainer really is, training stops being something people endure and starts becoming something that genuinely adds value.

Key Takeaways From This Blog

• What Train the Trainer actually means in practice
• Who Train the Trainer is for
• Why it plays such an important role in workplace learning

What Do We Mean by Train the Trainer

Train the Trainer is about teaching people how to deliver training that works. It focuses on how adults learn, how to explain ideas clearly and how to create sessions that lead to real workplace application. It is not about scripts, slides or talking at people. It is about enabling

Many organisations invest in Train the Trainer with the hope that people will return confident and capable. Too often, training ends when the course ends. Skills fade, confidence drops and old habits return. This is why the way Train the Trainer is delivered matters so much. Train the Trainer is most effective when it is supported over time, not treated as a one off event.

At Target Training Associates, our focus is not just on what happens in the training room, but on what happens afterwards.

Key Takeaways From This Blog

• Why one off training rarely delivers lasting results

• How ongoing support builds confidence and consistency

• What makes Target’s Train the Trainer approach different

What Do We Mean by Long Term Impact

Long term impact means trainers continue to grow after the course. They feel confident months later, not just on the day. They apply their skills consistently and adapt them to different situations. Training becomes part of how the organisation operates rather than something

One of the biggest misunderstandings about training is that it is mainly about slides and presenting information. Many people believe that good training means standing at the front, clicking through slides and explaining content. This misunderstanding is exactly why so much workplace training fails. Train the Trainer is important because it shifts the focus away from talking at people and towards helping people learn.

Training is not a performance. It is a process that supports understanding, confidence and real application.

Key Takeaways From This Blog

• Why PowerPoint is often overused in training

• What effective training actually focuses on

• How Train the Trainer changes the way people deliver learning

What Do We Mean by Talking at People

Talking at people usually means delivering large amounts of information with little interaction. Slides are packed with text, the trainer speaks continuously and learners sit quietly trying to keep up. While this may feel efficient, it rarely leads to real

Many people step into training roles without ever planning to. They are good at their job, knowledgeable in their subject and suddenly asked to train others. While this can feel flattering, it often comes with nerves, self doubt and a sense of not really knowing what you are doing. This is where Train the Trainer becomes so important.

Train the Trainer is not just about learning how to run a session. It is about building confidence, clarity and belief in your own ability to help others learn.

Key Takeaways From This Blog

• How Train the Trainer builds confidence in people who never planned to be trainers

• Why training skills often unlock new career opportunities

• How confidence and clarity change how people see themselves at work

What Do We Mean by Confidence in Training

Confidence in training is not about being loud or outgoing. It is about feeling calm, prepared and capable. Confident trainers know how to structure a session, explain ideas clearly and involve learners without fear. They trust

Most organisations invest in training with good intentions. They want people to perform better, feel more confident and deliver stronger results. Yet many training sessions fail to achieve this. Poor training often looks harmless on the surface, but beneath it sits a significant cost to productivity, morale and revenue.

Train the Trainer is important because it helps organisations avoid these hidden costs and create training that genuinely supports performance.

Key Takeaways From This Blog

• Why poor training creates long term business costs
• How disengaged learners affect productivity and morale
• How Train the Trainer skills protect performance and revenue

What Do We Mean by Poor Training

Poor training is not always obvious. It often looks like people sitting quietly, slides being read aloud and sessions being delivered because they have always been done that way. Learners attend because they have to, not because they want to. They leave with notes, but little confidence in what to do next.

Many people are asked to deliver training at work simply because they know their subject well. While knowledge is important, it does not automatically mean someone knows how to train others effectively. This is where many organisations struggle. Train the Trainer is important because it gives people the confidence and skills to turn knowledge into meaningful learning that actually transfers into the workplace.

When training is delivered well, people leave knowing what to do and feeling confident doing it. When it is not, the impact can be costly.

Key Takeaways From This Blog

• Why confidence is central to effective training
• How Train the Trainer improves workplace transfer
• The wider impact on engagement, morale and performance

What Do We Mean by Train the Trainer

Train the Trainer is about teaching people how to deliver training that works. It focuses on how to explain ideas clearly, involve learners, structure sessions and build confidence. It is not about talking at people or reading slides.

When someone starts delivering training for the first time, they often feel a mix of excitement and pressure. They want to get it right, look credible, and keep people engaged. The problem is that most new trainers focus on the wrong things.

These mistakes are common — and completely fixable. In fact, they are exactly the challenges we help people overcome on our Train the Trainer courses, where we support trainers to deliver sessions with confidence, structure and impact.

In This Article You Will Learn

• The most common mistakes new trainers make
• Why these mistakes happen
• How to avoid them using simple, practical techniques

Mistake 1: Trying to Cover Too Much Content

New trainers often feel they need to “show value” by including as much information as possible. This usually leads to rushed delivery, overloaded slides, and learners who feel overwhelmed.

How to Avoid It

• Decide on the key outcome first: what should learners be able to do after the session?
• Cut anything that doesn’t support

Many trainers try to teach adults the same way they were taught at school. The trainer talks. The learners listen. Everyone hopes the information sticks. Unfortunately, this rarely works. Adults learn differently. They bring experience, expectations and pressures that shape how they take in new information.

If you are developing your skills as a trainer, our ILM-accredited Train the Trainer courses explore adult learning principles in a simple, practical way so you can apply them with confidence.

In This Article You Will Learn

• How adults actually learn
• Why adults learn differently from children
• Simple ways to improve your sessions using adult learning principles

What Do We Mean by Adult Learning?

Adult learning is the process of helping grown learners understand, apply and feel confident with new skills or knowledge. Adults do not simply absorb information. They compare it with their experience, question its relevance and want to know why it matters. If we ignore this, training becomes

People often think that good training is about standing at the front and sharing information. We see this a lot on our Train the Trainer courses. It is easy to assume that the more you tell people, the more they learn. In reality, real learning does not happen this way. Good training is structured, clear and focused on helping people feel confident to use what they have learned.

This article explains what good training really looks like and how you can apply these core principles to create sessions that work.

In This Article You Will Learn

• The five core principles of effective training
• What separates average training from great training
• How to use these principles to improve your own delivery

What Do We Mean by Good Training

Good training is training that leads to genuine understanding and real world application. Learners leave the session confident, clear and ready to apply their new skills. They know what to do, why they are doing it and how to do it well. Good training does not overwhelm.