Introduction to Learning & Development: Build an L&D Career

Name: Introduction to Learning & Development: Build an L&D Career
Rating: 4.6 (145 reviews)

Unlock Your Potential to Become a Professional in the Learning and Development Field

Created byZubin Rashid (Learning and Development Academy)

Last updated 5/2026

English

What you'll learn

What Learning and Development is and why it is important in an organisational context
The Role that Learning and Development plays in an organisation
The Career Trajectory and Roles in the L&D Department / Function and the responsibilities and activities for each role
Comprehensive list of the most important Competencies of an L&D Professional - the skills and knowledge required to succeed in this profession
The different Learning and Development Activities - a list of activities that the L&D function does
The Associated Functions - related functions that are supersets or subsets of L&D
What L&D holds in the future
How you can prepare for a career and get a job in L&D

Course content

8 sections • 55 lectures • 2h 26m total length

Introduction to the Course5:16
Know Your Instructor1:09
Zubin Rashid, learning and development professional with over 20 years of experience across 70 countries, coaches leaders and delivers learning and development solutions as chief executive of Career Skills Coach.

Overall Career Trajectory and L&D Hierarchy4:38
Level 1: Entry Level Roles1:49
Explore entry level roles in learning and development with less than five years of experience, such as training administrator, junior instructor, junior instructional designer, building foundational skills for career growth.
Individual Contributors Roles in Level 13:05
Level 2: Intermediate Level Roles1:43
Individual Contributors Roles in Level 23:39
Level 3: Advanced Level Roles1:25
Individual Contributors Roles in Level 32:07
Management Roles in Level 32:08
Level 4: Senior Level Roles2:34
Individual Contributors Roles in Level 41:37
Management Roles in Level 42:58
Consulting Roles - External Trainer/Facilitator, LNA Consultant, SME Consultant6:09
CIPD Profession Map4:51
Revision Worksheet 30:24

Business Knowledge2:32
Organisational Performance Analysis2:09
Return on Learning Investment2:06
Consulting and Communication4:34
Working with the latest Technology2:56
Stay with technology by identifying objectives and selecting tools like webinars, e-learning, artificial intelligence and machine learning, virtual reality, and augmented reality to enhance programs. Use LMS to track progress.
Analytical Skills2:55
Content Development and Curation2:38
The Association for Talent Development (ATD)2:36
Revision Worksheet 40:24

Stakeholder Management2:38
Identify and engage key internal and external stakeholders, align needs and expectations, and implement a stakeholder management strategy with clear communication, feedback loops, and ongoing evaluation of impact.
Learning Strategy2:23
Budgeting and Planning2:38
Learning Needs Analysis and Training Needs Analysis2:24
Explore how learning needs analysis assesses employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities against organizational goals, gathering data from surveys, interviews, and observation to identify training needs and align development with mission.
Designing and Developing Learning Interventions2:49
Design and develop learning interventions using instructional design, e-learning, classroom instruction, and blended learning to meet employee needs through clear objectives, content, storyboard, and effective delivery.
Implementing and Delivering Learning Solutions2:57
Implement learning solutions by scheduling sessions suitable for group size and format, set up and test reliable technology for virtual classes, and provide ongoing support and monitoring of participant progress.
Measuring Learning Effectiveness and Return on Learning Investment1:40
Learn to measure learning effectiveness and calculate return on learning investment using a practical framework that sets objectives, identifies metrics, collects and analyzes data, reports results, and adjusts programs.
Revision Worksheet 50:24
Download the Microsoft Word file from the downloadable resources section of this lesson, and complete the exercises in the file to reinforce your learning in this L&D career course.

Organisational Development3:04
Organizational development (OD) improves performance and employee well-being by empowering individuals and teams through analysis, diagnosis, planning, and interventions that enhance communication, culture, structure, and learning.
Leadership Development1:55
Identify and develop leadership potential, design programs to build knowledge, skills, strategic thinking, and prepare current and future leaders for diverse contexts to support a succession plan.
Talent Management and Development2:28
Revision Worksheet 60:24

Requirements

Basic understanding of what human resources does in organisations
No prior knowledge of learning and development is needed
Interest in learning about learning and development

Description

This course is designed to provide you with an introduction to L&D, so you can start building an exciting and successful career in this field.

Starting with the basics, you will learn what Learning and Development is and the importance of the L&D function in an organisation. You will then move on to explore the different names given to the L&D function, and the achievement of business goals, the performance of teams, the performance and career growth of individuals, and leadership development. You will also learn about new employee orientation, changes in systems and processes, integrations, and compliance and maintenance of levels/standards/quality.

The course will then guide you through the overall career trajectory and L&D hierarchy, from entry-level roles to senior-level roles. You will learn about individual contributor roles and management roles, as well as consulting roles such as external trainer/facilitator, LNA consultant, and SME consultant. You will also be introduced to the CIPD Profession Map.

You will also get to grips with a range of topics related to the competencies of an L&D professional, including business knowledge, organisational performance analysis, return on learning investment, consulting and communication, working with the latest technology, analytical skills, content development and curation, and information on the Talent Development Capability Model of the Association for Talent Development (ATD).

Finally, the course will provide you with an introduction to stakeholder management, learning strategy, budgeting and planning, learning needs analysis and training needs analysis, designing and developing learning interventions, implementing and delivering learning solutions, measuring learning effectiveness and return on learning investment, and associated functions like organisational development, leadership development, and talent management and development.

By the end of the course, you will be well-equipped with the information on the knowledge and skills you need to prepare for a career in L&D. You will be able to confidently apply for roles, prepare for interviews and make the most of your career opportunities.

Join this course today and start your journey of building a career in Learning and Development.

Who this course is for:

Anyone aspiring to build a Career in Learning and Development
Beginner-level L&D professionals who want to understand the basics of L&D
Professionals who want to switch their career to L&D and needs an initial understanding on what a career in L&D may entail
People working in Human Resources who are seeking to improve their knowledge of Learning and Development

Introduction to Learning & Development: Build an L&D Career

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction2 lectures • 6min

Introduction to Learning and Development4 lectures • 8min

The Role of L&D in Organisations9 lectures • 23min

Career Trajectory and Roles in L&D14 lectures • 39min

Competencies of an L&D Professional9 lectures • 23min

Learning and Development Activities8 lectures • 18min

Associated Functions4 lectures • 8min

The Road Ahead5 lectures • 22min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: