Learning Specialist Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a learning specialist. Feel free to use our learning specialist job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a learning specialist.
Who is a Learning Specialist?
A learning specialist is someone who develops and delivers training programs to help people and organizations perform better.
They usually work for a company or organization and are in charge of assisting or supervising some aspect of learning.
Furthermore, Learning specialists are in charge of developing and implementing lesson plans for students with special needs. They may work with individuals, groups, or entire classes to help them reach their full potential in a variety of areas such as academics, social skills, behaviour, and so on.
The learning specialist position is a career path for highly qualified teachers who want to stay in the classroom and collaborate with other educators to advance their practices.
These specialists have been trained to assess and assist struggling students. They are also known as educational therapists. They work with you, your child, and the school your child attends to find solutions to any learning gaps.
These professionals use evidence-based teaching strategies and assess their impact on student learning.
Learning specialists have extensive knowledge and skill in effective teaching and learning.
A Bachelor’s degree in education from an accredited college or university is required to work as a learning specialist, though many employers prefer candidates with Master’s degrees in a related field. They must also be certified in special education and hold a teaching license in the state where they work.
Learning Specialist Job Description
Below are the learning specialist job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a learning specialist job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
- Assisting students in developing effective study habits that improve their academic performance.
- Addressing poor time management, lack of motivation, academic deficiencies, and difficulty setting goals.
- Educating parents and teachers about the various learning styles.
- Assessing students to identify those with different learning styles.
- Delivering regular updates to parents and teachers on students’ development.
- Preparing and delivering tests for students’ literacy, numeracy, and other skills
- Assisting parents in identifying their child’s areas of strength and weakness so that they can support their child’s at-home learning.
- Counselling students who are struggling to manage their schoolwork or relationships with their peers.
- Collaborating with teachers, students, and other faculty to develop plans that increase the likelihood of academic success.
- Establishing training requirements and reviewing training materials on a regular basis to ensure they are current and relevant.
- Tracking training costs, planning classes, installing systems and equipment, and coordinating enrollment.
- Ensuring that both teachers and students benefit from intervention and counselling techniques.
- Observing students’ behaviour in class to identify any issues that may be impeding their ability to learn.
- Developing individualized learning plans for students with special needs based on criteria such as physical disability, learning disability, or mental disability.
- keeping up with developments in educational psychology and teaching methods
Qualifications
The following qualifications are required for a learning specialist:
- A bachelor’s degree in business, education, human resources, instructional design, or a closely related field is required.
- A teaching certificate.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with parents, teachers, and school administration.
- A desire to make a difference in the lives of students.
- Experience teaching a variety of classes and age groups.
- Extensive knowledge of learning styles and methods.
- Outstanding time-management and organizational skills for dealing with a heavy workload.
- A considerate attitude toward others.
- Thorough understanding of effective teaching methods.
- Adapting to rapidly changing environments.
Essential Skills
If you want to work as a learning specialist, you’ll need a few skills to be successful. The skills of a learning specialist include the following:
- Lesson planning:
Lesson planning is the process by which learning specialists create learning experiences. This process involves deciding on learning objectives, resources needed to achieve those objectives, and teaching strategies. Learners with strong instructional design skills can create engaging and effective training programs.
- Analysis skills:
Data comprehension and evaluation are required skills for learning experts. They use data to assess the performance of their programs and make adjustments. Understanding what we’re looking at is essential when working with numbers and data, just like understanding how we communicate. Without it, we run the risk of misinterpreting the data and taking the wrong action.
- Technology Competences:
Your ability to use technology can assist you in learning new tools and resources for the workplace. You may need to learn how to use new software or technology to help you create new training programs or learning resources. Learning technology skills can also help you communicate more effectively with others in your field.
- People skills:
Learning specialists must be socially adept and able to collaborate effectively. They must also be aware of the needs of their participants and clients. People skills are required in any profession, but they are especially important in learning and development.
- Collaboration Skill:
This involves the ability to work together with others to achieve a common goal. You may work with a variety of people as a learning specialist, including teachers, managers, students, and other learning specialists. It is critical to be able to collaborate with others in order to develop and implement learning plans, design engaging activities, and evaluate the effectiveness of your programs.
- Presentation and Teaching skills:
Learning Specialists use photo imaging and graphics software to create effective training solutions. Students who are proficient in the industry’s most commonly used presentation and training programs will have an advantage over their peers when they enter the workforce. Furthermore, learning and development specialists must be able to teach company employees how to use the training courses they create.
- Ability to solve problems:
Learning specialists must be able to recognize problems and devise solutions. They must also think critically and creatively. Any profession necessitates problem-solving abilities, but learning and development necessitate them even more. We frequently have to devise novel solutions to difficult problems.
- Analyzing critically:
The ability to think critically enables situational analysis and information-based decision-making. As a learning specialist, you will assess the needs of the employees for whom you will be creating learning plans. Because you may be in charge of determining whether a learning program was successful, you must be able to evaluate the program’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Culturally Aware Abilities:
Cultural competence is an important characteristic for learning and development professionals. Cultural competence refers to the ability to understand, value, and interact with people from various cultural backgrounds. They also have excellent communication skills with people from all walks of life.
- Communication skills, both verbal and written:
Effective communication is required between learning specialists and their clients, participants, and colleagues. Communication skills are essential for success in any occupation. Even if you are the best learning specialist, if you cannot effectively communicate your ideas to others, you will fail. Working collaboratively is an important part of what learning specialists do, so effective communication is essential.
- Assessment Skills:
Assessment skills allow learning specialists to evaluate the current state of a learning program and determine what changes they need to make to improve it. This can involve assessing the program’s objectives, the student’s current level of knowledge, and the teaching strategies you employ. You can use assessment skills to develop an improvement plan and monitor the outcomes to determine whether your changes are effective.
- Organizational abilities:
Learning specialists must be able to manage their time effectively and juggle multiple tasks at the same time. It’s okay if you’re not naturally organized. There are numerous tools and resources available to assist you in getting your life in order. However, it is critical that you understand the value of an organization and are willing to invest the time and effort required to become more organized.
How to Become a Learning Specialist
A career as a learning and development specialist can be extremely rewarding. It’s a fantastic way to help others with their education and skill development.
A learning specialist’s career path consists of several steps. By following these steps, you can obtain the education, experience, and skills required for career success. These steps are as follows:
- Step 1: Get the Proper Education
A degree in this field is the first step toward becoming a learning specialist.
A bachelor’s degree in business, instructional design, education, human resources, organizational development, or a related field is required for a career as a learning specialist. Students can choose from a variety of accredited programs in these fields offered by a variety of schools. All of these courses provide a variety of skills that are relevant to the tasks that learning and development professionals must perform on the job.
Although not required, a degree in a related field will provide you with a solid foundation on which to build. As a result, you may become more appealing to potential employers.
- Step 2: Get Experience
The next step is to gain work experience in the industry. Working as a teaching assistant, instructional designer, or training coordinator are just a few possibilities.
Most students work part-time at entry-level jobs or complete internships to gain practical experience while pursuing their degrees. Admissions or academic advisors can usually assist you in locating these opportunities.
If you have prior experience in the field, you will have a better understanding of the work of a learning experience specialist. It will also allow you to gain the necessary expertise for the position.
- Step 3: Join a professional organisation
The next step is to join a professional organization, such as the Association for Talent Development (ATD), formerly the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) is a well-known organisation in the field. Membership in this and other industry groups demonstrates a person’s dedication to the profession. Members have access to the most recent industry research, news, and trends, as well as opportunities for networking and professional development. Aspiring learning and development specialists can also join leadership and public speaking organizations such as Toastmasters to hone their public speaking and presentation skills.
Being a member of a professional organization will also keep you up to date on the most recent trends and advancements in your field.
- Step 4: Get certified
Many employers are looking for candidates who have specific skill certifications. Learning and development professionals can obtain certification from the ASTD and the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). The ASTD offers the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance credential. Candidates for the International Society of Performance Improvement’s Certified Performance Technologist credential must have at least three years of experience.
- Step 5: Seek Career Advancement
The final step is to stay up to date on the most recent business developments. Because the field of education is constantly changing, you must stay up to date on the most recent trends and advancements.
You can become a learning specialist by reading industry publications, attending conferences and webinars, or taking additional courses. Candidates should present impressive records of achievement in their current roles before applying for advancement opportunities. In general, entry-level workers require time to hone their skills and gain new ones through experience.
Consider earning a master’s degree as one of the ways of advancing in this career path. Some employers prefer candidates with master’s degrees, and a master’s degree may be required for some upper-level management positions. Individuals should consider a master’s degree program after researching accredited schools where advanced skills and theories can be learned.
Where to Work as a Learning Specialist
A learning specialist may be employed at a college or university to assist other teachers in developing lesson plans or to manage a student support centre. They can serve students with special needs in a similar capacity at a primary or secondary school by administering tests for learning disabilities and taking care of other special needs.
Companies and other private organizations may also hire a learning specialist to oversee employee training and develop educational materials for potential customers.
Learning Specialist Salary Scale
According to payscale.com, a starting salary of $50,083 is expected for an entry-level learning specialist with less than a year of experience, which includes tips, bonuses, and overtime pay. An early career learning specialist with 1-4 years of experience can expect to earn $54,615. In their mid-career, an experienced learning specialist earns an average total salary of $59,958.
A learning specialist with 10 to 19 years of experience earns an average annual salary of $63,982. Employees in their late careers (20 years or more) earn a total annual salary of $70,000 on average.
However, the amount of money a learning specialist earns is highly dependent on the employer, level of experience, and educational background.