Talent development professionals from around the world are making their final preparations ahead of ATD22. While the conference runs May 15–18 in Orlando, ATD is offering preconference learning options for trainers and L&D professionals who are looking to level up their skills and advance their potential. Early conference attendees will gather for programs like the Change Management Certificate, the E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate, the Evaluating Learning Impact Certificate, and the ATD Master Trainer Program.

While ATD Master Trainer Program participants will meet for three days of in-person sessions ahead of ATD22, they started their learning well before the international conference and EXPO and will continue it after as well. That’s because the ATD Master Trainer Program is an eight-week blended experience of asynchronous and synchronous learning.

Aligned to the Talent Development Capability Model, the program covers such topics as conducting a needs assessment, evaluating impact, facilitating discussions, maintaining engagement, coaching and mentoring, and more. Here’s how the ATD Master Trainer Program is structured:

• The program kicks off with three weeks of cohort-based online learning, including self-directed exercises, discussion boards, and curated ATD resources.

• Midway through the program, participants gather face-to-face or live online for three days of training with their cohort and facilitator to practice skills, conduct their 10-minute skills assessment, and receive focused feedback.

• Then participants re-engage with their cohort online for more self-directed online learning and reflection.

• The program concludes with another 10-minute facilitation as their final learning project.

All told, it’s the perfect opportunity to grow your knowledge, prove your skill, and challenge yourself.

“The Master Trainer Program is a good way to test your trainer skills in a short window of time,” says Tiersa Hall, an ATD Master Trainer who completed the blended program in June 2021. “It allows you to see the things that you are strong at, and it allows you to develop the things that you may not be as strong at.”

“What the Master Trainer Program does is test your abilities to adjust to the changing times and the cultural changes that are bound to pop up,” adds Hall, a group HR consultant for the Hartling Group, a real estate, sales, and development firm specializing in the creation and management of luxury Caribbean condominiums and villas.

“And it’s important to have that tested to really see, Do I know how to adjust in an environment whether the cultural makeup is different? How do I connect with people in a deeper way when we just started the training? It really helps open up your mind and allow you to see how you as your best self presents in the company of supportive people. That’s what makes the program really great.”

Hall enjoyed being exposed to a wide range of different participants from different regions of the world, all coming from their own organizational cultures and bringing those perspectives. That created relationships that have extended beyond the program. “A lot of us still talk,” she says. “The connection’s still there.”

The program’s flexibility also fit well with Hall’s work-life balance. “I’m a family mom, so I found the virtual class was better for me.”

One of her biggest takeaways was the instructional design aspect. “What I’ve done after the program is gone back and revamped the training that I’ve created already and further enhanced it based on cutting-edge trends learned from the class,” Hall says. “I’ve taken a lot of the new tips and tactics and put them right back into the programs I have. And every time I do a new training, I start with my my designed objectives and follow the guidelines we covered.”

Hall recommends the ATD Master Trainer program to anyone in the industry. “The Master Trainer gives you a taste of everything. It gives you a taste of instructional design. It gives you a taste of delivery and facilitation. What it does gives you a clear perspective of what the world of learning and development is like.”

To learn more about the ATD Master Trainer Program, visit td.org/master-series. Plan ahead to participate in that and other preconference opportunities ahead of ATD23 in San Diego, California.