About Training Development

What to know

  • Training should improve competence, capacity, and performance.
  • Use a systematic development process to help ensure your training will be successful.
  • CDC provides tools and resources to develop quality training for public health.
Two colleagues sharing a laptop while developing a new training.

Definition of training

Training is an organized activity that provides information and instruction to help a learner attain knowledge and/or skills. The goal of training is to improve the learner's competence, capacity, and performance. Using communication and education techniques, training increases knowledge and changes attitudes to build the learner's skills.

Use a systematic approach

Using a systematic process for training development ensures that you follow key steps for successful development, provides a guide for managing the training project, and helps support communication about the project with your team. Many frameworks and models are available to help you break down the training development process into actionable steps.

One example is the ADDIE model. ADDIE is an acronym for the five stages of the training development process: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. Each stage has a deliverable that supports the next stage and includes opportunities to gather feedback and make changes to your training as you develop it.

Use the specific framework or model that fits your training needs, that you are most comfortable with, or that your organization prefers.

Learn more about training development

The resources below are available to support and enhance the quality of your training development, delivery, and evaluation processes. They can be used with any training development framework or model.

Assess training needs

Develop training

Evaluate training

Training Development Tools

CDC's Quality Training Standards